With a favorable outlook for growth in foreign trade thanks to investments , Mexico has a world-class trade system. However, we cannot ignore the areas of opportunity that still exist in various areas to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are presenting themselves in the best way possible, such as infrastructure.
Therefore, public policies and private investments in these sectors are essential to ensure that Mexico remains a first-class manufacturing and export center.
Furthermore, the constant improvement of logistics infrastructure will allow the country not only to maintain its leadership in traditional sectors , but also to explore new opportunities derived from nearshoring and market diversification, according to the specialists.
At the panel on Innovative Strategies in Infrastructure, Logistics and Customs at the 30th Foreign Trade Congress of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , the panelists agreed that customs, highways, railroads, international bridges and well-equipped industrial parks are the pillars on which the country’s competitiveness in global trade is built.
Miguel Cos Nesbitt, president of the Confederation of Customs Agents Associations of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) , highlighted the importance of the Mexican customs system in the equation that leads to success in Mexican international trade.
He pointed out that the country’s 50 customs offices represent 40.7% of domestic trade and generate 30% of national revenue , so their role is fundamental to Mexico’s economic development.
“The Mexican customs system has been key to positioning us as the world’s ninth largest exporter, allowing high-quality products to quickly reach our main trading partners, such as the United States and Canada,” said Cos Nesbitt.
On the other hand, the Mexican railway sector is another key aspect of the logistics infrastructure, which is why Oscar del Cueto, president of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) , highlighted the impact of multi-million dollar investments in the Mexican railway system.
According to del Cueto, more than five billion dollars (mdd) have been allocated to the modernization of tracks and the expansion of railway capacity in the country.
“Railways are an economical, ecological and increasingly competitive means of transport for Mexico. We not only transport large volumes of goods, but also refrigerated products, which increases our competitiveness in the global market,” he said.
He said that the railway is crucial not only for heavy and non-perishable products , but also for diversifying trade, with 36% of cargo in Mexico moved by train, which represents a significant change in the country’s logistics.
Likewise, the development of well-located industrial parks with state-of-the-art infrastructure has also been one of the priorities for the growth of Mexico’s foreign trade, said Jorge Avalos Carpinteyro, president of the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks (AMPIP) .
He said that investments in energy infrastructure, telecommunications, renewable energy and electric mobility within industrial parks are crucial for the competitiveness of the Mexican market.
Additionally, international bridge infrastructure has also been key to modernizing cross-border trade, which is why Luis Bazán, general manager of the Pharr International Bridge , highlighted the importance of improvements to the bridges connecting Mexico and the United States.
“Investments in our bridge infrastructure allow for more agile transit of goods and reduce waiting times, which is essential to maintaining competitiveness in cross-border trade,” said Bazán.
The Pharr-Reynosa Bridge , one of the main crossing points between both countries, has undergone improvements that allow for a greater flow of goods, both manufactured and perishable.
These infrastructure investments, combined with improvements at nearby ports such as the Port of Brownsville, as well as infrastructure improvements on the Mexican side , strengthen Mexico’s connectivity with its trading partners in North America.
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