city and port of entry, northern Tamaulipas estado (state), northeastern Mexico. It lies along the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), across from Laredo, Texas. The city serves as a commercial centre for the regional cattle industry and as a natural gas production centre. It is the site of numerous maquiladoras (foreign-owned manufacturing plants) that produce electronics and other consumer goods for export. As a major port of entry, Nuevo Laredo also provides a variety of products and services for tourists. A highway and a railroad linking San Antonio, Texas, with Mexico City, to the south, pass through Nuevo Laredo. Pop. (2005) urban agglom., 355,827.