Samsung Electronics Co., which had long been...

Samsung Electronics Co., which had long been expected to open a plant south of the border, has broken ground for a new color television factory in Tijuana. The $12 million, 90,000-square-foot plant will begin producing 13- and 19-inch color television chassis in August.

The Korean electronics company said the Tijuana-produced chassis will be shipped to Samsung’s Roxbury, N.J., plant for final assembly. The Mexican plant will initially produce 200,000 units a year and later will add a second line to bring production to 400,000 units a year. At full production, Samsung said the plant will employ 300.

The move is designed to offset rising labor costs in Korea and the increasing value of the won, Korea’s currency, against the dollar, and to enable Samsung to react more quickly to the U.S. market, the company said.