Due to it's location almost at the center of the country and it's history of being a transportation hub for the U.S., Kansas City was the logical place to locate a transportation hub for the International Corridor from Mexico. 

North American Trade Corridors

"Following the implementation of NAFTA, coalitions of interest have been formed in order to promote specific transport channels, to develop the infrastructures of these channels and to propose jurisdictional amendments to facilitate the crossing of borders. These coalitions include businesses, government agencies, civil organizations, metropolitan areas, rural communities and also individuals, wishing to strengthen the commercial hubs of their regions."

"....A network of cities, the North American International Trade Corridor Partnership (NAITCP), aims to build a huge regional market by holding regular trilateral meetings between member cities, and by facilitating contact between businesses in the corridor. In particular, the NAITCP has put together a huge directory of enterprises in the corridor, which may be consulted on-line, and organizes virtual trade missions."

KC SmartPort Map

KC SmartPort with the Mexican customs facility project was championed by David W. Eaton, president of Monterrey Business Consultants in Monterrey, Mexico, and the former executive director of NAITCP.  IRPP Working Paper No. 2004-09j

NAITCP merged with NASCO in May of 2005 so information recovered on NAITCP is sketchy but it was considered important because it was a private partnership of public officials - using their public capacities to promote private interests subversive to U.S. national interests (IMO).  NASCO Board of Directors (includes George Blackwood)

Slide Presentation on NAITCP

NAITCP - Articles of Incorporation - in Mexico as it was found on the NAITCP website.  The significance of incorporation in Mexico is that it gives them the power of NAFTA Chapter 11.

NAICP - Leadership

February 2000, NAITCP logo description

October 2002, Concept Draft of the Trans-Pacific Multimodal Security System.  Design is to accommodate Mexico's trading partners in the APEC countries. 

Cleaver to participate in international trade summit

Kansas City Business Journal - March 31, 1997

"On Thursday, representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada will meet in Monterrey, Mexico, for the first summit of mayors to promote the international trade corridor partnership. Kansas City Mayor Emanuel Cleaver will be representing one of 20 U.S. cities. This is first such tri-lateral trade and transportation summit of mayors since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement."

Laredo Chamber of Commerce Vision 2006 Conference  
        [recovered from wayback... pdf

Presentations:   

David W. Eaton, NAITCP, Director Of KCS of Monterrey, Mx
Jaime King Cancino, First Vice President, CAAAREM, Mx City
Chris Gutierrez, President, KC SmartPort, Kansas City, MO         

NAITCP 2004 Summit - Executive Summary

NAITCP 2004 Summit Report - Kansas City Declaration
[ Click on image hotspots for more information ]

Mural Commemorating the Second Summit of Mayors of the NAITCP

Kansas City Business Journal - Sept. 5, 1997

"To capitalize on what Cleaver calls a "river of trade," Kansas City is hosting the Second Summit of Mayors to Promote the International Trade Corridor Partnership Sept. 25-27. The campaign, focusing on I-35, I-29 and part of I-70, kicked off last spring during a conference of mayors in Mexico. More than 100 city leaders will meet here to build on their planning."

To succeed, Cleaver said conference participants must accomplish two tasks. The mayors must first agree to designate the trade corridor the "Unofficial NAFTA Trade Route," as a step toward international recognition of the corridor's importance to international commerce in North America. The designation would attract money for highway upkeep and expansion.

Secondly, the mayors must establish a permanent international municipal association to oversee and promote development of the corridor.