The Ministry of Economy (SE) and the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) presented this Monday the IMPULSAA Mexico initiative , a national project that seeks to professionalize, innovate and modernize the customs system, as well as strengthen the country’s logistical competitiveness at a key moment for foreign trade.

The program, developed in conjunction with the General Directorate of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade, proposes a work agenda based on regulatory improvement, operational efficiency and technological transformation , with the objective of consolidating a national logistics innovation network that boosts the economy and reinforces the strategic role of the customs agent.

IMPULSAA Mexico is structured around five pillars:

• Impulsa Capacita: Will create a national logistics training program for customs agents and the supply chain.
• Promotes Alliances: Will establish a national network between CAAAREM, the Ministry of Economy and allied organizations.
• Promotes Rules: Will implement a manual of good practices to increase competitiveness in all ports, crossings and premises where customs agents operate.
• Boosts Efficiency: Will develop technological and data analysis tools to optimize operations and provide greater certainty.
• Impulsa México: It will promote a sustainable and inclusive agenda that strengthens foreign trade from an integrity approach.

Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the SE, highlighted that logistics is “the most complete economic activity”, present in all modes of transport and in all states of the country.

“You drive Mexico forward, and thanks to you we have a strong and solid economy. Today we are the 12th largest economy in the world; six years ago we were 16th, and that is the result of every link in the logistics chain,” he stated.

Aguado pointed out that the instruction from the head of the SE, Marcelo Ebrard, is to strengthen the relationship with the chambers and associations of the sector, not just from a photo op, but with “a real synergy” to face global challenges and improve internal competitiveness.

“This project aims to highlight the importance of logistics and bring us together. Every link in the chain matters: carriers, freight forwarders, importers, exporters, shipping companies, and, of course, customs brokers,” he said.

For his part, Ignacio Zaragoza, president of CAAAREM, indicated that the launch of IMPULSAA Mexico represents a turning point in the professionalization of the industry.

“We are the first line of defense in the country’s customs and we have the technical and operational capacity to guarantee that goods entering and leaving the territory do so in accordance with the law,” he said.

Zaragoza stressed that, given the country’s growth as an exporting power, the role of the customs agent must evolve towards a more technical, ethical profile committed to compliance .

“Compliance has ceased to be a requirement and has become a strategic value that strengthens the confidence of the authorities, companies and investors,” he stated, highlighting the updated code of ethics and the new training programs.

Claudia Ávila, Director General of Customs Attention and International Affairs at the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , emphasized that Mexico is experiencing “a geoeconomic turning point” , where the relocation of supply chains and the record-breaking foreign trade demand more modern, transparent and reliable customs.

“A country’s foreign trade is worth exactly what its customs are worth. And its customs are worth exactly what the integrity of those who operate at the border crossings and facilities is worth,” he stated.

Ávila noted that Mexican customs processes more than 60,000 operations daily , and that traceability, digitalization, and trust will be the elements that define competitiveness in this new era.

“The relationship between customs authorities and customs agents cannot be transactional; it must be transformational. Mexico needs capable, ethical, professional, and visionary agents,” he said.

Both the federal government and the customs industry agreed that IMPULSAA Mexico is not just a program, but a declaration of intent that Mexico wants to compete better, operate better, and be better .

With an economy strengthened by foreign trade, sustained growth in foreign investment, and a global environment that rewards trust, the country is committed to raising the standards of its customs system as a key element of its economic future.

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The Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) and the Latin American Confederation of Customs Agents (CLAA) signed a collaboration agreement on ethics and self-regulation, with the aim of strengthening best practices and raising the professional standards of the customs industry.

According to the shared statement, the agreement was signed by José Ignacio Zaragoza Ambrosi, president of CAAAREM, and John Michael Willy Kolter, president of CLAA , in an act that sets a precedent in regional integration and international cooperation in the sector.

During the ceremony, the president of CAAAREM highlighted the importance of this joint effort , noting that it is a historic step for the country, which will benefit Mexico’s foreign trade.

“Customs brokers are part of the solution, not the problem. This agreement is a historic step for Mexico and for the world of foreign trade, because it promotes a new era of self-regulation, transparency, and ethical commitment that will strengthen trust in our institutions and in the global logistics chain,” he said.

For his part, during the celebration of the CLAA’s 20th anniversary, John Willy called for unity and the defense of the union in the face of the challenges posed by the reform to the Customs Law .

In his message, he warned that the recent modifications represent an attempt to weaken the role of the customs agent.

“This reform translates to cannon fodder: ‘watch out, patent holder, here I come to annihilate you.’ It definitely seems that this government intends to annihilate the role of the customs agent; we cannot allow it and we will continue to defend our position ,” he stated.

Willy emphasized that the strength of the union lies in unity, legality, and transparency , principles that should guide new generations of customs professionals.

“I was always taught that unity allows us to achieve great things, but that unity must be based on legality and transparency. We have to build trust and change the mistaken image that has been created about us,” he said.

He called on customs agents to put aside their differences and work together to strengthen the institutional capacity of the profession, acknowledging the role of CAAAREM and reiterating his commitment to the profession and to CLAA.

In this regard, they noted that, with this alliance, both Confederations are committed to sharing experiences, establishing professional integrity guidelines and consolidating training mechanisms focused on compliance and ethics, thus promoting the competitiveness and professionalization of Latin American foreign trade.

This agreement reaffirms the leadership of Mexican customs agents as benchmarks in innovation, integrity and international collaboration, positioning the group as a key player in the transformation and strengthening of foreign trade in the region.

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In the last six months, Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) has seized more than 80 million liters of illegal hydrocarbons through various modes of transport, dealing a blow to smuggling worth more than five billion pesos .

Alex Tonatiuh Márquez Hernández, director general of Customs Investigation at ANAM, stated that they have identified companies that have participated in these actions, which have become richer in less than two years. These companies begin by declaring smaller quantities of products, different tariff fractions, food supplies, among other things.

“It’s a network of connections, because the scale of the assets we detected was immeasurable. We can’t say there was an omission when there was collusion. They’re migrating. They saw that we started detaining ships at different ports. Now it’s become easier, because we’re going through railroads, and they saw that we started detaining many railroads, more than 254, which represents more than 50 million liters, and they returned to the tanker scheme. We have very well identified the customs offices that have contraband, the customs agents who contribute, mainly at border customs offices, which is where we have detected them, and the companies that have been migrating,” he explained.

Márquez Hernández emphasized that this type of conduct has been uncovered through the use of pre-validators, who validate hydrocarbon petitions even if they are not dedicated to this sector. “We have even skipped chapters; we have detected hydrocarbon smuggling, declaring fuel as paprika, ethylene, methanol, or calcium hydrochloride .”

During the ANAM-CAAAREM master class on Hydrocarbon Import Practices , he commented that less than 10% of customs agents carry out illicit practices in the handling of hydrocarbons.

To date, 903 foreign trade transactions have been analyzed, revealing that customs agents working with huachicol are experiencing higher rates of smuggling, technical smuggling, and undervaluation.

As a result of the analysis work with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), 20 investigation files have been reviewed, identifying and seizing merchandise imported by companies such as Logística y Asesoría Aduanera R&R Asociados, Servicios Aduanales JR, and Ingemar , the latter involving the tanker truck operation detected on July 7.

“(Ingemar) was so aware of the illegal act that two hours before we detained them, at the moment we stopped the train, he sought to rectify the request. This means that it is not an omission by the customs agent, but rather he is in contact with the importer and with the person committing the criminal act, and they are waiting in case the authority is careless,” he explained.

Under this scenario, he emphasized that they will continue working to detect personnel involved in crimes, verify hydrocarbon imports, and export merchandise, in coordination with railways and other suppliers abroad.

Javier Coello Zuarth, director of the Coello Trejo y Asociados law firm , emphasized that some of the recommendations for handling this type of merchandise include knowing the client, their corporate purpose, having documentation that supports the foreign trade operation, tariff classification, permits, among others.

“It’s not just that we’re the ones being investigated in a case file we have nothing to do with. As criminal lawyers, we can use this information to help authorities find those truly responsible for any illegal introduction of merchandise into the country,” he said.

José Ignacio Zaragoza Ambrosi, president of the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) , said that it is a strategic issue and is linked to national security and the country’s stability.

“The hydrocarbon sector is one of the most sensitive and strategic sectors for Mexico, affecting not only the economy but also strategic energy security and social stability. Therefore, CAAAREM’s technological expertise and professional organization are at the service of the Mexican government to strengthen the work of ANAM and guarantee modern and secure customs,” he commented.

He emphasized that the agency is cooperating with alerts on the pre-validator, which allows for the detection of irregularities in real time and the prevention of high-risk operations, digital audits on the behavior of petroleum imports, the design of more effective strategies and controls, and operational and technical advice.

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The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) faces a radically different global context than its origin, where geopolitics and national security are redefining the rules of trade, as announced by business leaders at the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents of the  Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) .

The USMCA can no longer be analyzed using the logic of the 1990s, explained Emilio Cadena, CEO of Prodensa and Chairman of the US-Mexico Foundation .

“Today, supply chains are not defined by efficiency or sustainability, but by national security. This is not a business issue; it’s a political priority for the United States,” Cadena warned.

Still, he said there is a unique opportunity if the region deploys capital to produce more locally and stop depending on Asia, “thinking like China,” as he defined it.

For his part, Gerald Schwebel, president of North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO) , stated that the value of the USMCA today is higher than ever, due to the high tariffs applied outside the agreement.

“This is extraordinary news for Mexico,” he stressed.

He also urged the private sector not to rely solely on the chambers: “Companies must be at the table, not spectators. Trade isn’t made by governments, it’s made by companies,” Schwebel asserted.

From the logistics front , Sergio Espinosa, commercial manager of Hutchison Ports , explained the bottlenecks facing Mexican foreign trade.

“Only 26% of international cargo moves by sea, despite Mexico’s extensive port network. We must break our dependence on land transport,” he said.

He highlighted that Hutchison Ports has made strategic investments in ports such as Ensenada, Baja California; Manzanillo, Colima; Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán; and Veracruz, as well as in an intermodal hub in Hidalgo to strengthen the national logistics network.

Juan Pablo Cervantes, president of the International Section for North America of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE) , called for the business sector to protect the trilateral trade agreement .

“Mexico is already the largest market for US exports. This interdependence should be used as a strategic argument in the review,” he said.

He called for continued strengthening of value chains, human capital, and the professionalization of foreign trade.

The panel discussion on these topics was moderated by Fernando Con y Ledesma, president of the National Board of Directors of the  Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) , who highlighted that the review of the USMCA comes at a decisive moment for the region and invited the speakers to reflect on its political and logistical implications.

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The transformation of Mexican customs is moving forward with the strategy of increasing revenue collection, strengthening legality and facilitating foreign trade , as stated by Admiral Fernando Alfonso Angli Rodríguez, Director General of Customs Operations of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , when presenting the results, challenges and vision shared by the different areas of the agency.

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The Confederation of Customs Brokers of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM)  and the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) signed an agreement that seeks to mark a turning point in strengthening legality in customs.

“This agreement is the first step of many we must take,” said Mauricio Battaglia, president of the Concamin Commission for the Defense of Legality, at the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents of CAAAREM. His call was direct: to close the gap between industry, government, and customs agents to stop the smuggling and undervaluation that, for years, have eroded the country’s productive base.

The agreement includes commitments to training , information exchange, and compliance strategies.

“We’re not against imports, we’re against those who do so illegally,” stressed Guillermo Sánchez Chao, a lawyer specializing in international trade and an advisor on the case.

For his part, CAAAREM president Miguel Cos Nesbitt acknowledged that reaching this agreement took months of work, meetings, and awkward moments.

“I wasn’t elected to sit back,” he said, recalling the meetings with leaders from other sectors who questioned the actions of some members of the customs union. “It’s up to us to clean up the chain, because everyone’s reputation is at stake,” he emphasized.

The panel, moderated by customs broker Julio Escalante Bourillón, concluded with a clear message: this alliance doesn’t end with a signature; it only begins with one.

Some of the agreements of the signed agreement are:

• Joint training and updating.

• Establishment of communication and monitoring channels.

• Exchange of technical and statistical information.

• Joint diagnosis of the impact of illicit trade.

• Development of best practices and compliance programs .

• Prevention of undervaluation and malpractice.

• Boosting the inter-institutional observatory.

• Promotion of legal and fair trade.

• Institutional strengthening of the customs system.

• Permanent monitoring and common work agenda.

The challenge is to put the agreement into practice, recruit more agencies, and demonstrate with facts that legal trade does have defenders and that they are organized.

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In the Mexican customs ecosystem, there are things that work and many others that don’t, as revealed by the National Survey of Logistics, Customs and Foreign Trade (ENLACE) , presented during the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents by the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) .

The exercise, one of the most ambitious in the industry, compiled responses from executives and foreign trade specialists to identify the current state of operations in the sector.

Customs legislation fared well: 68.1% of respondents considered it efficient. However, this positive perception is tempered by the need to simplify requirements, update regulatory content, and make it easier to consult through digital tools.

In terms of digital services, 31% rated the Ministry of Economy ‘s website as deficient . This complaint isn’t new, but it is a recurring one: frequent crashes, poor stability, and slow response times.

Customs infrastructure also received a negative evaluation. Maritime infrastructure received a negative evaluation, while land infrastructure barely exceeded the adequacy threshold. On average, 57% of users believe the facilities are inadequate.

The same situation persisted regarding connectivity : ports and state highways experienced the highest levels of congestion, and only 26% of respondents reported operating with adequate infrastructure.

There is a good perception of transparency  in land customs and bureaucratization in maritime customs, although recent efforts by the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) in Manzanillo, Colima, and Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, are recognized.

When asked about the use of logistics services , the answer was straightforward: improving delivery times is the number one reason (54%). Environmental sustainability, in contrast, was hardly mentioned as a motivation.

Logistical challenges are well identified: lack of qualified personnel (36%) and theft or damage to merchandise (21%). Not only was efficiency called for, but also safety and professionalism.

In this regard, trucking received a negative rating; its cargo handling is perceived as limited and vulnerable. Poor storage conditions, inefficient claims processes, and constant road thefts keep its perception on red alert. Thirty percent of the incidents were directly attributed to the actions of the authorities.

Despite this, there is confidence in customs brokers: 72% of those surveyed rated their performance as efficient to excellent . But there is also room for improvement: continued professionalization, services beyond clearance, and greater technical training.

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With a proposal focused on institutional transformation, technological modernization, and the defense of the customs union, José Ignacio “Iñaki” Zaragoza was appointed as the new president of the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) .

Currently president of the Nuevo Laredo Customs Brokers Association and with over 15 years of experience in the sector, Zaragoza takes office with the support of various local associations and a clear vision of restoring strength to the associations, respect for the guild, and purpose to the confederation.

During his campaign, under the slogan ” Make CAAAREM Bigger ,” Zaragoza presented a platform with proposals focused on strengthening institutional representation, reducing centralized structures, restoring the role of the customs substitute, and applying artificial intelligence tools to combat undervaluation in foreign trade.

“The greatness of the Confederation is not measured in square meters, but in leadership, integrity, and service,” Zaragoza declared at one of the key meetings of his candidacy.

Its main lines of action include the development of algorithms to verify reference prices on platforms such as Alibaba, Amazon, and Temu; the creation of the “25-50” strategic document to assess the situation of the country’s 50 customs offices; and the strengthening of academic ties with universities such as ITAM to raise the educational level of the industry.

Zaragoza also emphasized the need to establish permanent working groups with authorities such as the Tax Administration Service (SAT) , the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) , and the Ministry of Economy (SE) to achieve real co-responsibility among customs agents, importers, and agencies.

During his career, he has served three times as president of the Nogales Association and as vice president of operations for CAAAREM during the pandemic, a period in which he was recognized for his technical ability and leadership. He currently works alongside his brother, Ricardo Zaragoza, former president of the Confederation, and has been firm in his stance against the criminalization of the union.

Calling for unity and transparency, Iñaki Zaragoza takes office with a commitment to revitalizing the Confederation from the ground up: “No more unilateral decisions, no more disconnection. This is a presidency to serve, not to be served by it.”

Iñaki Zaragoza was elected at the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents , organized in Mexico City by CAAAREM. He replaces Miguel Cos Nesbitt, who completed his term as leader of the union (2023-2025).

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Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) has seized more than 50 million liters of diesel that have been smuggled into the country via trains, ships, or tankers over the past five months, Rafael Marín Mollinedo, head of the agency, reported Thursday.

The customs official indicated that this illegal practice has been detected at customs offices in Tampico, Laredo, Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, and other locations.

After participating in the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents , organized by the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) , he commented that they are monitoring the different customs declarations that have been entering different parts of the country and have detected various modifications.

“First, they started changing the tariff items; instead of saying diesel, they said fuel oil additives. We flagged all those items under Chapter 27, but then they started changing them to other products; now it’s a chemical product,” he explained.

It’s worth remembering that on July 7, a joint operation involving various authorities seized 129 tanker trucks and 15 million 480 thousand liters of fuel in Coahuila, considered the largest seizure so far during the six-year term of Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico.

The first action took place in the municipality of Ramos Arizpe, where state police informed security agents about several tanker trucks that were apparently abandoned near a train station; at the site, they located 33 tanker trucks containing 3.96 million liters of hydrocarbons .

In another incident, near a station in Saltillo, 96 tank trucks were found stranded on the railroad tracks, containing 11 million 520 thousand liters of hydrocarbons.

In this regard, Marín Mollinedo explained that they were able to detect what was passing through the railroads through the Electronic Customs Data Processing Center, which provides information from the 14,000 cameras located at all customs offices.

“We checked what was coming on those trains, and there we found the last seizure we made. 129 trains, tank trucks, passed on one train. They had only declared 10% of the fuel, meaning they were carrying 120,000 liters, and they had only declared 10,000 liters on the customs declaration,” he explained.

Regarding the results of the National Customs, Logistics, and Foreign Trade Survey presented at the congress, which highlighted the limited infrastructure at maritime customs offices and the state of the facilities, among other topics, he indicated that they are working to remedy this situation.

“We’ve replaced many customs directors, and we’re reviewing their operations and performance. Wherever we see a lack of progress, we make the change. We’re there, monitoring all the requests from ANAM and the central offices, ensuring that people pay what they owe,” he explained.

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Since early this July 17th, voices from the private and public sectors have been heard within the framework of the 85th National Congress of Customs Agents of the Confederation of Associations of Customs Agents of the Mexican Republic (CAAAREM) , converging on the urgent need to modernize the Mexican customs system, a process in which it has been said that the federal government plans to send a reform to the Customs Law to Congress.

“The role of customs agents is central. They are natural allies of the customs institution and key players in driving a new standard of efficiency and compliance,” said Rafael Marín Mollinedo, head of Mexico’s National Customs Agency (ANAM) , when opening the event.

The ceremony brought together figures such as Alejandro Malagón Barragán, president of the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) ; Gabriela Ortiz Merino, deputy attorney general of the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) ; Rear Admiral Antonio Martínez Plancarte; customs and industrial sector associations, among others.

They all agreed on one premise: without strengthened customs, there is no competitive foreign trade .

In his message, Miguel Cos Nesbitt, president of CAAAREM, emphasized the meeting’s purpose: to renew the conviction that customs agents, with efficiency and commitment , are key to the country’s economic development and legal security.

“Let this congress be a meeting point, a place of reflection, and a driving force,” Cos Nesbitt said to a room packed with operators, authorities, and industry representatives.

One of the most moving moments of the day was the presentation of awards to customs agents with 25 and 50 years of experience , a tribute that highlighted the living history of those who have collaborated to develop, day after day, the pillars of the customs system.

In addition, the results of the 2025 National Customs, Logistics and Foreign Trade Survey were released , which stated that the perception of customs agents is mostly positive (more than 72% rated them as efficient or excellent), although areas for improvement were also noted in training, services and use of technology.

The document also revealed structural challenges : port congestion, poor road connectivity, poor freight transport safety, and a low level of environmental considerations in logistics.

During the conference, it was made clear that it is time for a comprehensive reform to modernize the Mexican customs system and prepare it to respond to the challenges of global trade.

But not a reform from a desk, but from the ground up: with the participation of those who operate the legal movement of goods every day.

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