Saltillo, Mexico  - Daimler AG opened a new truck plant in the northern Mexican city of Saltillo on Friday, which will manufacture about 30,000 heavy-duty Freightliner trucks for the United States, Mexican and Canadian markets.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon attended the ceremony at Daimler Trucks North America's second plant in Mexico, which was built with an investment of 300 million dollars. The company said it expected the plant to generate 1,400 direct jobs and 200 indirect jobs, as well as an additional 1,100 jobs in the local autoparts industry.

The new Mexico plant will manufacture Freightliner's new flagship, the Cascadia heavy-duty Class 8 truck. Daimler expects to introduce the Cascadia in Mexico's domestic market by late 2009.

"With the new plant, Daimler Trucks is improving its competitive position in the North American continent over the long term," said Andreas Renschler, a Daimler board member.

Renschler said that the firm will thus be ready for the recovery of the truck market, once the current global economic crisis ends. "We have pole position for the future," he noted.

Calderon said he was pleased with the investment that came from the Stuttgart-based company, and stressed that as the worldwide recession had also impacted Mexico, moves like the plant opening were the right way to counter the slump.

The city of Saltillo, in the state of Coahuila, was chosen because of Daimler's good experiences in Mexico. Northern Mexico has good road and rail connections and is favoured for its proximity to the United States. (dpa)