MEXICO CITY, June 18 (Reuters) - Ford on Tuesday shipped

out a batch of cars manufactured at its Hermosillo plant in the

northern Mexican state of Sonora from the nearby Guaymas port,

in a pilot project that aims to reduce logistics costs by some

30%, according to Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo.

The U.S. automaker has long been shipping its autos

manufactured at the Hermosillo plant from the port in Lazaro

Cardenas in Michoacan state, which is much farther away. With

the revamp of the Guaymas port, Ford could significantly cut its

shipping costs, Durazo told Reuters in an interview.