Hundreds of companies have expressed interest in helping build U.S. President Donald Trump’s southern border wall. However, only one of them is from Mexico.
Around 640 companies, mostly from the United States, have registered with the U.S. to design and build the wall. Among them are also companies from Spain, Germany, South Africa, Britain, Ireland, Puerto Rico and Canada.
The only company from Mexico is Ecovelocity. Located in Puebla, near Mexico City, the company sells cheap industrial LED lights. Theodore Atalla is the owner. He is a Greek-Egyptian native who has lived in Mexico for nearly 20 years.
Atalla said his lights, mostly imported from China, are cheaper than his competitors. He wants to provide lights for the wall that many people in Mexico hate.
"It would only be on the Mexican side because I don't think we would be allowed to work on the other side," Atalla said in an interview. "They said they only wanted American products."
A group of activists paints the U.S.-Mexico border wall between Ciudad Juarez and New Mexico as a symbol of protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's new immigration reform in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Feb. 26, 2017. The paint reads "We are workers."
Two other Mexican companies told Reuters that they are willing to work on the project.
Mexico's Cemex is one of the world's largest cement producers. It is willing to provide quotes to supply materials for the wall. And its competitor, Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, has also said they might be willing to work on the project.
Both companies have a history of projects in the United States.
I’m Phil Dierking
Anthony Esposito reported this story for Reuters. Phil Dierking adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in This Story
cement – n. a soft gray powder that is mixed with water and other substances to make concrete
industrial – adj. of or relating to factories, the people who work in factories, or the things made in factories