Monterrey, Mexico-On 9 Sept the Mexican government closed the Quimobasicos CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) production facility, four years ahead of the deadline set by international agreement, according to Mexican Environment Secretary Jose Luis Luege Tamargo. Monterrey-based Quimobasicos-part of Mexican chemicals group Cydsa, was the largest manufacturer of CFCs in Latin America. "This historic closure results in the total elimination of the country's CFC production, the reduction of Latin America's production to 60 percent, and the dropping of global output by 12 to 13 percent," said a statement from UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). In 2003, Mexico's CFC production capacity was estimated to be 13 kilotonnes per annum. Elimination of this production will reduce the availability of CFCs in neighbouring countries and accelerate their replacement with substitutes that do not harm the ozone layer, according to a statement from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol."
