EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – New Mexico officials on Thursday met with their counterparts from Chihuahua, Mexico, to talk about how both states will benefit from an expanded Santa Teresa border crossing.

The port a few miles west of the Texas state line is experiencing sustained growth as it becomes an alternative to El Paso’s busy border crossings for companies looking to move parts assembled in Mexico into the United States.

Congress recently approved funding for a feasibility study to expand the port, and Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard visited late last year to announce Mexico is committed to the expansion.

“We met to reestablish channels of communication so we can learn about the infrastructure planned on the U.S. side, including border crossing expansion and the building of some roads on the American side,” said Mario Vazquez, secretary of Public Works and Communications for the state of Chihuahua.

Officials from the New Mexico Border Authority hosted the meeting between the Chihuahua officials and representatives from New Mexico Democratic Sens. Ben Ray Lujan and Martin Heinrich, and companies interested in port expansion such as Grupo Empresarial Reliance and Empresarios Progresistas.

“Our intent was to learn what we can do on the Mexican side to modernize and facilitate the transportation of merchandise between the two countries,” Vazquez said.

The Santa Teresa port of entry accounts for about 40 percent of all New Mexico commercial exports, according to the Border Industrial Association.