The countdown began on February 3 with the one-month postponement of the imposition of US tariffs on Mexican products , which allowed exporters a temporary respite.
For Ángel Hernández, general manager of Super Transporte Internacional (STI) , the pressure on the sector has been on since January of this year, the demand for more transport and storage space to be able to move goods in the face of uncertainty over tariffs.
“We already noticed that exporters were beginning to want to send a little more product to the American side to avoid the risk of an increase due to sales. This was seen much more in January, because February was a strong threat,” explained Hernández.
With the postponement, the strategy continues to evolve. For Hernandez, there is still some uncertainty and the market could demand much more capacity in the export area to cover any risk.
“These issues are very sensitive, especially because it is a fact that if there is something that Donald Trump does not like, he will want to impose tariffs,” Hernández said.
He also said that exporters have sought to secure their operating margins.
Hernández warned that “there is already a lack of capacity in the warehouses in Laredo, and that is a reality. There is a lack of creativity because it is a reality. The issue of capacity could be affected.”
He also indicated that in Laredo many areas are still being developed for storage, but not everything is ready .
For his part, Edgar Zamorano, delegate of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) in Reynosa, explained that there are still doubts in the sector.
“Saturday (February 1) filled us with anguish. We spoke all day with customs agents, exporters, merchandise owners, warehouses, land transport, everyone was on the same page of uncertainty,” Zamorano said.
He said that a scenario with tariffs would represent a “fall in numbers, no one would want to export or import ,” he explained.
She explained how tensions had grown in the days leading up to the meeting. “President Trump’s position was very tough, but President Claudia’s response was also very tough,” she said.
For Zamorano, trade cannot operate with constant pauses . “Trump is not someone you can easily convince not to continue with tariffs. Much depends on what Mexico does to avoid it,” he said.
Along the same lines, Javier Abascal, CEO of Grupo Zonte , considered that Trump’s move follows a pattern. “Knowing Trump, knowing what he is like, I think he will just threaten. His scheme is that: threaten, go out and say things to the press and make everyone nervous,” Abascal commented.
In the midst of this scenario, transporters and logistics operators are trying to sustain the flow of trade before uncertainty becomes a definitive blow.
In this context and in light of the 30-day pause in tariffs, logistics specialists warn that the situation remains volatile and due to demand they have reinforced the offer of their services , such was the case of Pegasus Logistics Group , who in a statement noted that “despite the postponement, the situation remains unstable and companies must remain vigilant.”
For its part, Averitt , a cross-border solutions provider, highlighted the importance of strengthening supply chains through strategic storage by offering inventory relocation.
In light of this, some companies have already begun to explore storage options at strategic locations within the United States to ensure the continuity of their operations.
The question in the sector is clear: will this be just a temporary respite before a new onslaught or the prelude to a definitive agreement? The countdown to find out continues until March of this year.
(Main image source: Averitt)
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