In the cumulative period from January to July 2024, the port of Laredo recorded a trade exchange of 194.47 billion dollars (mdd), that is, an increase of 5.07% compared to the same cycle in 2023. In this context, imports to the United States from Mexico were 119.97 billion dollars, while exports to Mexico were in the order of 74.61 billion dollars.
This volume of operations places the Port of Laredo as the main border port, while contributing 6.2% of the total trade of the United States, only behind the Port of Los Angeles, which contributes 6.6 percent.
Although manufactured goods are the main products exchanged through this border port, Port Laredo has implemented a series of actions to boost refrigerated cargo trade between Mexico and the United States.
For this reason, Port Laredo works with the National Service for Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality (SENASICA) to carry out joint inspections, which means that exporters can use special lanes on the Colombia-Laredo Bridge, said David González, Chief Agriculture Specialist of Port Laredo.
“To participate in these programs, the exporter needs to be in the CTPAT and the truck operators in the FAST (Free and Secure Trade Program),” said González.
In an interview with T21, he mentioned that interested companies must register with Mexican customs to participate in the joint inspection program.
He mentions that the road connection also allows for direct connectivity , and also has a partial rejection program where if any merchandise has a pest, only that product is not allowed to continue its entry.
“This has saved companies nearly six million dollars since 2019, because part of the shipment is saved and only what is contaminated is returned to Mexico. The Department of Agriculture told us that as long as the product is sealed in plastic bags, the maneuver to return the product to Mexico can be done without problem,” shared David González.
Cargo inspection is carried out in warehouses to ensure that the cold chain is not broken. Products handled include broccoli, celery, salad ingredients, flowers, tomatoes, among others.
“It’s not that they need the cold chain, but that they want to use the cold room, which is between five thousand and 10 thousand shipments a year. Normally we see about 20 to 25 shipments a day in the cold rooms,” said the Chief Agriculture Specialist of Port Laredo.
He said there are already plans to carry out an expansion , due to the expansion actions being carried out for the second Laredo bridge, which will mean an increase in foreign trade to the United States.
Currently, Port Laredo has six platforms for the cold chain, although they are not fully used. “There is the possibility of expanding and making something larger and with more technology to maintain the cold chain. We have the cold rooms, but the truck operator needs to open the doors and get close to the cold part and when this is done by opening the truck door, the heat enters and warms the product, not much. There is technology that allows the doors to be opened when the truck is next to the room and that is what we have on the Colombia bridge,” González described.
With the expansion of the bridges, work is being done to cope with the expected growth in cargo inspections. It is important to maintain the cold chain so that the product has a longer shelf life in the supermarket.
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