In light of the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , the federal government assured that it is working on various actions to expedite foreign trade.

Estefanía Capdeville, Director General of Customs Services and International Affairs at Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) , said that improving operations through digitalization not only facilitates trade but also increases revenue collection. For this reason, they invested in technology such as arches, intelligence centers, and specialized personnel .

“All this investment, it’s true, has a revenue-raising component, but also an investment in the country. The USMCA is giving us the opportunity; all the geopolitical and foreign trade changes we are experiencing are giving us the opportunity for our customs to become an international benchmark. If we manage to make our customs an example of digitalization and efficiency, and with Mexico’s geographic location and the new investment opportunities we will have, we can change this moment and become a leader in facilitating foreign trade,” he asserted.

During his participation in the panel “Facilitation of Mexican Foreign Trade”, at the 8th Amacarga Congress , he assured that if greater efficiency is achieved in various customs processes, foreign trade volumes will increase , “which brings benefits to all of us, including tax collection.”

“In order to receive all the information, we need the necessary infrastructure to store and analyze it. In the first six months of this year, priority customs offices must be fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Currently, only 7% of our vehicles are automated; we need to invest heavily in infrastructure to streamline everything,” he noted.

He noted that the Mexican Single Window for Foreign Trade (VUCEM) is in place, procedures have been simplified in various agencies, and work is underway to digitize them.

Claudia Franco Arias, director of International Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) , agreed that facilitating and digitizing customs processes increases revenue in a sustainable way .

“Freight forwarders are important players; we will no longer see them as mere logistics facilitators. Now we will see them as more focused and specialized because they consider different elements such as security, economics, and adequate logistical traceability to streamline and manage the costs we are experiencing with tariffs,” he stated.

For his part, José Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Economy (SE) , indicated that the focus should be on trade facilitation, for which there are the Mexico Plan, development hubs, the relaunch of the “Made in Mexico” brand, among others.

“With the review of the USMCA, we want to accelerate nearshoring , and this is through facilitation, not only with the integration of Mexican government actors such as the SICT, the Treasury, ANAM, and the single window, but also with foreign trade actors such as freight forwarders. Integration is a great step because it gives certainty to the outside world,” he emphasized.

He argued that to make the country more competitive, the public sector needs to be more efficient through technology and innovation.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Mexico seeks to streamline foreign trade through digitization and facilitation apareció primero en T21.

Mexican logistics is at a crucial juncture. As supply chains evolve toward increasingly digital, automated, and regulatoryly demanding models, the sector faces a challenge that threatens to become one of its major bottlenecks: a shortage of specialized talent .

That was one of the central themes of the panel “Efficiency and compliance: The key role of training in the freight forwarder”, held during the 8th Congress of the Mexican Association of Freight Forwarders (Amacarga) , where representatives of the government, business associations and specialists agreed that the professionalization of human capital will be decisive to sustain the logistical and commercial growth of Mexico.

During her presentation, Claudia Alexandra Patrón, Director of Logistics and Supply Chain at the Ministry of Economy (SE) , affirmed that there is a growing interest among younger generations in pursuing professional careers in logistics and foreign trade. As an example, she highlighted that 90% of the 45,000 users of the Ruta Logística platform are under 44 years old.

“The need for training exists, and new generations are looking for places to do it,” he said.

The official explained that the success of these platforms has also been reflected in the demand for recorded content, as some training modules have exceeded 12,000 views on YouTube.

However, he warned that the growth of the logistics sector is putting significant pressure on the availability of skilled talent . According to data shared during the panel, Mexico currently faces a shortage of nearly 30% of trained personnel to meet the sector’s operational needs.

“We can have the best ports, the best warehouses, and the best infrastructure, but someone has to operate all of that. Artificial intelligence cannot make decisions on its own,” he argued.

The logistics director emphasized that this challenge will be even more relevant considering that the logistics sector maintains growth expectations of close to 7% annually.

One of the concepts that took center stage during the panel was micro-credentialization , a training model focused on certifying specific skills through short, flexible courses supported by technologies such as blockchain .

Victor Cruz, vice president of Amacarga, pointed out that this type of tool responds to a global context where constant updating is no longer optional.

“The World Economic Forum determines that 50% of workers will require an update in the next five years to remain relevant,” he commented.

He added that micro-credentials allow for traceability of acquired knowledge and make it easier for people to demonstrate their skills on digital platforms and professional networks.

Francisco Javier Lagunes, president of the National Association of Importers and Exporters of the Mexican Republic (ANIERM) , explained that micro-credentialing does not replace traditional training models, but rather complements the educational and labor ecosystem.

“Micro-credentialing seeks to address the need to train people in the short term and as quickly as possible,” he emphasized.

He explained that the goal is to generate certifications focused on specific skills within broader job functions, allowing workers to be trained in a specific and practical way.

However, both Lagunes and Claudia Patrón agreed that Mexico must take advantage of all available tools to professionalize the sector: diplomas, job skills, certifications, standards and academic training .

“We shouldn’t leave everything aside. We have to use the full range of tools,” Patrón stated.

Another topic that emerged during the conversation was the lack of accurate information on logistics human capital in Mexico.

Claudia Patrón acknowledged that the country still lacks reliable statistics on how many specialized professionals actually exist in logistics and foreign trade, as well as on the specific training needs within the industry.

“We need a lot more statistics in Mexico. There’s a whole universe of real data traceability that’s been lost,” he commented.

He added that this situation also reflects a cultural problem related to the monitoring of studies, censuses and the collection of sectoral information.

Nevertheless, he insisted that the demand for training is already evident and that institutions have a responsibility to respond with useful and accessible tools .

In that regard, he shared a piece of data that he considered especially worrying: only two out of every 10 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have at least one person specialized in logistics.

“Everyone handles logistics, but not everyone has specialized personnel. And that ends up complicating operations,” he explained.

According to him, a large part of the errors, delays or fraud in international operations stem from a lack of knowledge about processes, documentation and regulatory compliance.

Training and labor compliance under the USMCA

The panel also addressed the growing relationship between training, labor compliance, and international trade.

Raúl Martínez Flores, director of Regulations, Support for Social Dialogue and the New Labor Culture of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) , recalled that, after the entry into force of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (USMCA) , Mexico assumed labor commitments linked to rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining, which may lead to trade disputes through the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism.

Currently, he explained, there are 47 cases related to this mechanism, most of them driven from the United States.

“The United States could even tell a company: since you don’t respect those rights, your goods will no longer be allowed in,” he noted.

The official emphasized that many companies may commit violations due to a lack of knowledge, which is why labor training becomes strategic to avoid commercial disputes.

In addition, he highlighted that the STPS maintains free training programs such as PROCADIST and internal instructor training schemes for companies.

Martínez Flores also invited business organizations to become external training agents and develop specialized programs for their industries.

Digitization, collaboration and dignification of the sector

The participants agreed that the future of Mexican logistics will depend on three main factors: digitalization, collaboration, and dignifying the sector.

Claudia Patrón argued that for many years each actor in the chain worked in isolation: customs agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters, and authorities.

Now, he said, it will be essential to build a joint vision between the private sector, government and academia to develop training solutions aligned with the real needs of the country.

“We need to work together. It’s the only way to generate solutions and provide adequate training,” he stated.

He also highlighted the importance of recognizing the strategic value of logistics within the Mexican economy.

“Logistics doesn’t just move goods, it moves economies and connects nations,” he emphasized.

For his part, Javier Lagunes asserted that Mexico has a historic opportunity to consolidate itself as a logistics hub in North America and as a strategic link with Asia, Europe, and Africa.

However, he cautioned that achieving that goal will depend on the country’s ability to train specialized talent more quickly and efficiently.

“We need competent people to do things better and have greater productivity,” he stressed.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Jennifer Galindo  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo Training, technology and talent: challenges that will define the future of logistics in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) stated that actions are already being implemented to expedite the inspection of goods , which will reduce time and increase revenue collection and security.

“We expect a significant reduction in processing time. We also anticipate an increase in revenue of approximately 7%, and all of this will impact the quality of service we offer at customs. Digitalization and enhanced inspections are part of our master plan, and this directly benefits both security and efficiency at customs,” emphasized Héctor Alonso Romero Gutiérrez, head of ANAM.

In an interview following the inauguration of the 8th Congress of the Mexican Association of Freight Forwarders (Amacarga) , he said, without giving further details, that various actions have been carried out in the 20 most important customs offices in the country, where, according to the official, several advances have been made.

Regarding illegal merchandise, he noted that 100% of shipments are inspected using intrusive inspection equipment, but also a portion using data intelligence .

“Our goal is to reduce smuggling as much as possible. We need to target different sectors, but we are working with all the industry associations, where we have held talks to share data and gather intelligence,” he explained.

He explained that these actions are being carried out in sensitive sectors such as textiles, hydrocarbons, and others.

However, he did not specify what work they have carried out in the energy sector. “We have taken several actions that I cannot comment on, but the fight is going very well,” he said.

Regarding illegal merchandise surrounding the 2026 World Cup, Romero Gutiérrez reported that, in collaboration with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)  and the brands sponsoring the event, a wide variety of counterfeit items have been detected.

Comment and follow us on LinkedIn:  @Evangelina del Toro  /  @GrupoT21

El cargo ANAM streamlines merchandise inspection and seeks to increase revenue apareció primero en T21.