Kansas City SmartPort

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The Kansas City SmartPort is a proposal by Kansas City, Missouri for other countries to base their customs officials in the Midwest city to speed exports.

The current proposal calls for officials from Mexico to inspect and tag cargo and before it is shipped via truck or train expedited through international border to the Pacific deep water ports at Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo) where the exports would be sent to Asia. It is claimed the port would be 15% cheaper than shipping exports to the California ports at San Diego, California and Los Angeles, California.

Kansas City has proposed two ports:

  • The 14th & Liberty Street truck port near the city's first union train station in the city's West Bottoms (which is already in contract).
  • The Richards-Gebauer train port south of the city which would be served by the Kansas City Southern Railroad (which is considered a long term project).

Kansas City is also working on a proposal to ship goods through Canada to Europe.

The proposal requires State Department approval as there is a question about whether Mexico would have sovereign territory in Kansas City on the same level as an embassy.

There are also questions about the viability of the project. Initially Kansas City proposed 800 trucks/day. The number has been reduced to 800 trucks/week (in contrast to Laredo, Texas which handles 9,000 trucks/day). The project has also aroused some local opposition regarding the prospects of trucks on city streets and the requirement for the American Royal to move a parking area.

The proposal has also raised concerns about introducing illegal immigrants into the heartland. The SmartPort says their intentions now are only aimed at exports.

Kansas City's SmartPort web site that among the advantages the city would bring to the port include:

  • The most rail traffic in the United States in terms of tonnage passes through the city
  • The city has 10,000 acres (40 km²) designation as an free trade zone -- the largest area of any city in the United States.


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