For any company evaluating where to locate its next plant or distribution center in the Juárez–El Paso corridor, understanding why this is happening in Santa Teresa –and how fast– is essential.
The least congested crossing on the border
The Santa Teresa Port of Entry opened in 1993 and today facilitates more than $31 billion in annual trade. Unlike El Paso's crossings, which run considerably longer wait times due to commercial and passenger traffic volume, Santa Teresa was designed from the outset as a cargo-focused port, with a direct connection to southeast Ciudad Juárez via the four-lane Casas Grandes highway.
That combination –less congestion and a direct link to Juárez's industrial zone, including the park where Foxconn operates– is the main reason more and more companies are building on the New Mexico side instead of El Paso, Texas.
The rail advantage: Union Pacific
Santa Teresa is home to Union Pacific's intermodal complex, spanning nearly 2,200 acres with more than 74,000 feet of track and considerable room for expansion. Add to that a lesser-known regulatory perk: within a 12-mile zone around the crossing, trucks entering or leaving toward Mexico can carry up to 96,000 pounds of cargo, instead of the standard 80,000-pound limit that applies across the rest of the United States. For companies with high shipment volumes, that means fewer trips and lower transportation costs per unit.
The developments reshaping the landscape
Avila Industrial Park
272 acres developed by Killam Development four miles from the port of entry, inside a designated Foreign Trade Zone. Engineering began in Q1 2026, with lots and build-to-suit opportunities available in the first phase.
Alta Mesa Logistics Park
Part of a $2 billion mixed-use development that also includes 4,700 residential units, backed by developers who have been investing in the area since 2014.
Westpark Logistics Center
Developed by Blue Road Investments across multiple phases, with Class A cross-dock buildings over 30 feet of clear height. Already home to tenants like Tecma and Ergomotion.
Santa Teresa Gateway Rail Park
A 1,300-acre master-planned development with over 2 million square feet built and another 3 million planned, with direct access to Union Pacific's complex.
Incentives and the free-trade zone
The entire Santa Teresa industrial region sits within Doña Ana County's Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 197, allowing companies to defer or eliminate duties on certain imported inputs. New Mexico also offers tax abatements and credits for projects that meet certain investment and job-creation thresholds.
Who's already there
Companies that have chosen Santa Teresa in recent years include Foxconn –with one of its largest plants outside Asia, on the Mexican side of this same corridor–, CN Wire Corp., Coast Aluminum, and Monti Inc., among others. The pattern is consistent: companies that need a U.S.-side presence close to their manufacturing base in Juárez, without the congestion of El Paso's traditional crossings.