TIJUANA, BC.- The Cali-Baja region is one of the most dynamic logistics corridors in North America, derived from cross-border productive and commercial integration , where manufacturing, transportation and supply chains operate under increasingly specialized binational schemes, as well as with new regulations that impact the cross-border transport of goods.

In the panel “Key Issues for Better Cross-Border Logistics” , Alfonso Millán, delegate in Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , pointed out that being in Tijuana near the border with California – a state of the United States considered the fourth largest economy in the world – represents a privilege.

However, he considered that this proximity puts constant pressure on Baja California’s transportation companies, so a balance must be sought.

During the second edition of the Cali-Baja Transportation and Logistics Meeting  (ETYL) , organized by Grupo T21, Juan Báez, CEO of Bali Express Services , said that the region faces competition from other corridors in Mexico that have greater installed capacity, which forces local companies to improve their processes, be more efficient, invest in technology, raise operational standards and professionalize transportation. 

In his presentation, he indicated that between 80% and 90% of the production of the maquiladora plants established in Baja California is destined for California.

He pointed out that this northern state has had its ups and downs, since this market does not have the purchasing power it did three or four years ago, so companies in the region now also export outside of California .

According to data from the International Trade Administration , Baja California has more than 900 export manufacturing companies, many of which are directly linked to supply chains in California.

In that regard, Millán specified that the automotive, electronics, and medical industries are leading cross-border integration and have the greatest growth potential in the next five years. 

For his part, Báez indicated that the 2026 World Cup has boosted television sales, a sector from which Bali Express has benefited, since 80% of its customers assemble this product.

Adjustments to cross-border transport

The dynamics of foreign trade between Mexico and the United States are going through a time of high operational pressure, marked by regulatory adjustments and sustained growth in the flow of goods. 

In that context, the logistics sector faces structural challenges, as indicated by Carlos Ochoa, executive director of the Supplier Compliance Audit Network (SCAN) Association, who pointed out that the infrastructure “is not at the level of growth that Mexico is experiencing.”

The transportation sector is directly affected by these shortcomings, as every hour of downtime at the border represents not only economic losses but also a risk to cargo. Furthermore, insecurity and staff shortages in critical areas such as inspection and surveillance foreshadow a complex scenario in the coming years, which could impact bilateral trade.

From a regulatory perspective, Ochoa indicated that being CTPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) or an AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) does not mean being completely safe, since although they are necessary certifications, they have limitations. 

However, digital transformation is emerging as a way to address these challenges. The adoption of artificial intelligence, process automation, and advanced traceability systems is redefining logistics management and inspection mechanisms.

Authorities such as  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have begun implementing digital tools to process large volumes of information in real time, which anticipates a profound change in the oversight of foreign trade, the specialist indicated.

The panelists noted that the digital transition in Mexico faces particular challenges and that the region requires greater integration between public and private actors, as well as a long-term vision to ensure the continuity of regulatory and infrastructure processes that transcend political cycles.

They also warned about the tightening of visa criteria for operators and new requirements at border crossings in recent weeks, which is impacting the continuity of supply chains and the efficiency of foreign trade.

Alfonso Millán indicated that 70 visas have been withdrawn under the argument that the operators were crossing on foot into US territory to pick up their units. 

Adding to this is a new and controversial CBP regulation regarding the transit of dry vans , where return shipments were being used to send empty vans that would later be filled with raw materials. However, the U.S. authority has begun to penalize this practice under the premise that an empty dry van is merchandise in itself. This “ is going to reshape the entire logistics landscape ,” Millán stated.

Juan Báez added that the transport sector has adapted to the changes in the international and global market , “and I think that differentiates us from the rest of the industry sectors, where transport always has to adapt to different eventualities.”

In addition to geopolitical and regulatory adjustments on the northern border, freight transport is impacted on national routes due to insecurity and organized crime, the panel indicated, where  sections in states such as Puebla, Veracruz, Michoacán and Guanajuato were identified.

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Werner Enterprises , a transportation and logistics provider, announced the expansion of its intermodal offering in Mexico , with which it seeks to offer local customers more reliable shipping options.

In that regard, the firm is deploying its fleet of 53-foot containers in the Mexican market, adding 400 units that will enter the network during 2026 , bringing the total to 800.

“We want Mexican companies to know that there is a local, asset-based solution ready for them. We have the expertise to simplify cross-border transportation. By combining our advanced tracking technology with 24/7 bilingual support, we eliminate friction in cross-border trade and make the process more efficient than ever,” said Bernardo Alexander, Vice President of Sales for Werner in Mexico.

The intermodal approach will begin in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Silao, Guanajuato , with the addition of the Mexico City market in the second half of 2026. “Demand has remained stable over the past 12 months, representing a great opportunity to expand our growing asset presence in the country.”

He explained that this service provides security and visibility , since 100% of the containers have GPS and cargo cameras, in addition to having CTPAT certified carriers for all cross-border cargo.

Bernardo Alexander indicated that his teams are on the ground near Monterrey, Silao, and Pantaco. “We offer bilingual customer service 24 hours a day and maintain strong relationships with customs brokers at every Mexican rail terminal,” he emphasized.

“Intermodal offers a stable, long-term approach to pricing and capacity that can help shippers manage their budgets in a changing and volatile truckload capacity market,” he added.

He also explained that transporting goods by rail significantly reduces carbon emissions , “helping our customers achieve their environmental goals.”

According to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) , rail traffic in Mexico consolidated a growth of 10.2% during the first 12 weeks of 2026, reaching a total of 317,730 cars and intermodal units, compared to the same period in 2025.

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Rems Logistics , a logistics and transportation operator, is promoting a strategic cross-border corridor specializing in providing door-to-door logistics solutions to the export and import industries of Mexico and the United States. 

The project connects the southwestern states of the United States with the most industrialized areas of northern and central Mexico, with the border crossing at Douglas, Arizona . 

Rems Logistics is known for maintaining quality relationships with its clients and helping them achieve their goals by placing their products and materials where they are needed. It also offers comprehensive logistics solutions that combine storage options in Mexico and the United States , transshipment, transfer, distribution, border crossing, and transportation services. 

The company’s terminals are CTPAT-certified and equipped to handle a variety of construction materials, forest products, pipes, palletized cargo, recycled paper and cardboard, bulk minerals, machinery and equipment, and food grade materials. 

Additionally, its location near Interstate 10 (I-10) facilitates efficient distribution throughout the southwestern United States .   

Rems Logistics manages its own fleet of tractor-trailers and towing equipment, in addition to a broad network of carrier partnerships. This allows it to meet the expectations of its customers on both sides of the border . It also handles platforms such as dry vans and pneumatic dump trucks. 

Ernesto Müller Salazar, founding partner and commercial director of Rems Logistics, highlighted that this strategic corridor represents a clear alternative for the export industry, which, due to the reconfiguration of supply chains caused by tariffs and logistical saturations at other border crossings , such as Laredo and El Paso, Texas, is seeking to improve its cargo operations with final destination in the southwestern United States. 

As a success story, the company explained that, in just four years of operating the logistics corridor, it has recorded 16,000 border crossings, with 270,000 tons exported and 60,000 tons imported . 

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APM Terminals Yucatán reported yesterday that it renewed the certification granted by the United States Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) as a member of the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program , which recognizes rigorous compliance with international standards regarding physical, digital and operational security in the supply chain.

The CTPAT program is a voluntary initiative that strengthens public-private collaboration in protecting global trade and positions participating companies as trusted partners for international trade. The certification validates the security practices implemented by APM Terminals at its Progreso, Yucatán, terminal, which has been operating since 2005 and is key to trade between Mexico and the United States.

“This renewal consolidates our position as a strategic and secure partner for international supply chains, particularly for bilateral trade with the United States. At APM Terminals Yucatán, we work with a long-term vision to drive logistics development and facilitate regional industrial growth in Yucatán and southeastern Mexico,” said Beatriz Yera, general director of APM Terminals México , as quoted in a press release.

Currently, approximately 33% of the volume handled at the terminal in Puerto Progreso is exported to the United States , underscoring the terminal’s critical role as an international logistics platform and facilitator of nearshoring and market diversification for companies in Yucatán and neighboring states.

APM Terminals has been part of the CTPAT program since 2003 , when its North American parent company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CBP. This new validation reinforces the company’s commitment to continuous improvement and the highest security standards at every stage of the logistics process.

APM Terminals Yucatán continues to consolidate its position as the logistics engine of southeastern Mexico, connecting the region to global opportunities under a safe, efficient, and sustainable operating model.

APM Terminals is an independent division of A.P. Moller-Maersk and operates in 60 strategic locations across 33 countries, with multiple projects under development. With a workforce of approximately 33,000 employees, APM Terminals handles more than 27,000 vessels and records 23.2 million annual movements at its hub and gateway terminals .

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The Mexican Association of Freight Forwarders (Amacarga) said it will provide support to the country’s importers and exporters in the face of the new anti-terrorism provisions imposed by the United States , so as not to fall into a status of involuntary linkage with companies operated by criminal groups.

Juan Pablo Pacheco, president of the organization, said that for two years  they have been working on a comprehensive security strategy for freight forwarders that includes recommendations for their partners to implement international security standards based on the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).

Amacarga said in a statement that these changes have allowed foreign trade companies to be protected against all types of risks, including the risk of falling prey to money laundering, organized crime, terrorism or links with companies of dubious legal origin.

“Under the new conditions prevailing in the relationship with the United States, the role of the freight forwarder is now a crucial factor for importers and exporters, not only in terms of logistics, but particularly in terms of legal protection and in providing them with the assurance that they meet the review standards with the C-TPAT certificate,” he said.

He recalled that on October 19, 2014, Mexico signed a Mutual Recognition Customs Agreement with the United States, which confirms that the OAS and C-TPAT programs are equivalent security standards, which is essential to maintain the relations of exchange of goods with transparency and security between both countries.

In addition to all these actions, he said, there is the professionalization of freight forwarders to comply with international protocols through three specialized diplomas in security that have been taught to businessmen in the sector, with the results of the pilot tests already available and ready to start the first generation of safe freight forwarders.

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Since its conception as a transport company, 501 RT (Revolutionizing Transport) had a clear mission: to make a mark on its stakeholders, being an ally of its clients, but a space for development for its collaborators, where permanence in its ranks is based on conviction.

501 RT’s vision is defined as: “To consolidate ourselves as an international benchmark in conscious and dignified transportation, leading the evolution of the industry through technological innovation and operators that inspire confidence and excellence,” is how Alan León Wong, founder and head of sales and operations of the company, describes it.

To enhance the positive results of 501 RT, Alan León also describes that there is a framework of values ​​that allows for a favorable and consistent path in the market, “our values ​​are faith, family, gratitude and teamwork ; these are unbreakable and we live them day by day throughout the organization to obtain a better result.”

From the manager’s perspective, the values ​​held by the company, together with the defined vision, are the elements that allow the establishment of goals and commitments with clients, and the achievement of ensuring that all employees are aligned to achieve them.

The above is essential, when 501 RT is a strategic partner of various transnational clients that have a high standard of service , and therefore, its transportation provider must maintain a corresponding performance.

501 RT offers import and export services, door-to-door services, HAZMAT, Intra Mexico and airport services . “We are specialists in expedited services, where we are aware of the needs of our clients and therefore we must configure the service experience to be at the requested standard,” highlights Alan León.

One of the qualities of 501 RT, in addition to its modern infrastructure, is the commitment of its employees, a situation that becomes relevant when all its operations are carried out with a double operator in order to meet expedited conditions.

Certifications, the route

At 501 RT we are aware that a culture of constant development and evolution must be maintained, not only for the company, but for all those involved in it. Since its inception, 501 RT has had the mystique of achieving the best standards in the industry and making a difference in the market , through the recognition of third parties, which validate the operations and commitments assumed.

501 RT is CTPAT certified, which is aimed at providing security to supply chain participants, where the strengthening of its processes and infrastructure provides certainty to its clients.

Along the same lines, 501 RT obtained the Great Place to Work certification that recognizes its human capital management, “we are the only company in the trucking sector that has the Great Place to Work and aligns with our mentality of doing extraordinary things, and that supports our mystique ,” ​​emphasizes Alan León.

Services offered by 501 RT

• Import
• Export
• Intra-Mexico
• D2D
• HAZMAT
• Airports (VUCEM)

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As part of its business strategy, 501RT has always sought to introduce features that can revolutionize transportation.

Along these lines, one of the objectives set this year was to achieve the Great Place to Work certification, “not only did we have it on our strategic map, but now we find out that we are the only company in the general cargo transportation segment that has achieved it,” Alan León Wong, CEO of 501RT, told T21.

The certification, said León Wong, “endorses our commitment to building an exceptional work environment and a motivated team.”

Great Place To Work joins other certifications and recognitions that 501RT has, such as the Canacar Distinction, CTPAT and Fast.

“Our specialization in expedited services is a great differentiator in the market, which is why we must create a favorable work environment that allows our employees to offer their best service attitude,” said Alan León.

501RT’s service portfolio is complemented by import/export, dedicated and door-to-door services.

Based in Ramos Arizpe, 501RT has a six-year track record in the logistics and transportation market.

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MONTERREY, NL.- More than 20 years have passed since the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and at least 3,500 Mexican companies have been certified under this initiative.

Christian Cantú González, Commercial Director of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) Norest e , mentioned during his participation in the Supply Chain Security Day that during the growth of the program its standards were strengthened and changes were made to it after almost 20 years of its beginning, “so it was more than necessary to update it with current risks.”

However, they were carried out during the pandemic and had a negative impact on the dissemination and clarification of information with specialists.

“Although in our case we tried to disseminate it through videoconferences, its update was very important, but the important thing is that, according to our calculations, there would only be three thousand or three thousand five hundred certified Mexican companies, including transporters, transfer companies, importers and exporters, and of those, we have achieved in 22 years, a higher level that we have audited, and what I would put on the table is to extend the review to foreign companies and for them to enjoy some additional benefits such as greater streamlining and reviews, and generate a higher level of trust,” he said.

Juan Gallardo, Supply Chain Security Specialist from the CTPAT Field Office in Miami, commented in the Panel Discussion: A talk with the young CTPAT in Mexico , that efforts have been made to implement this type of actions for five years .

Victor Daniel Chavez, executive director of the International Trade Security Cluster , said that there are no logistics operators in the country within the program and “it is because they do not want to touch the cargo or I have nothing to do with it.”

Beginnings

Juan Gallardo recalled that he began working at the CTPAT two years after the program began. He recalled that its initial implementation was difficult due to barriers such as language, communication, and the application of criteria in different institutions.

“There are several changes, starting with CTPAT, which for me is a tool for border officials, since when analyzing the manifests, they find that they belong to this program and the process is easier. Between 50% and 80% of the daily merchandise is entered by the members, and the officials can focus on other things. Initially it was very difficult with companies or trade, but also with the different customs departments,” he said.

Christian Cantú González recalled that in 2003 the BASC (Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition) program certification for logistics security was already in place .

“There were several things that are different today thanks to technology and the CTPAT portal and its updates. At first, there was a boom from 2003 to 2010, and in retrospect, I have seen companies that after four or five years have a relaxation, especially due to the time that passes for revalidation, which can take three or four years,” he explained.

For this reason, he mentioned that as an organization they support companies to maintain their processes with or without a visit from the CTPAT . We do not do the work for them but rather we teach them to do it because they are the ones who carry out the operation on a daily basis.

For his part, Raúl Gilberto López Santana, Senior Security Manager at Carrier LATAM , agreed on the difficulty in starting this program: “It was complicated for the North American authorities to begin to think of a mechanism, to lay the foundations, to shield or prevent what came from abroad.”

“I remember that there were meetings with American authorities and on one occasion when I was in a meeting I saw how the Mexican authorities went to the Navy and so the Mexicans began to get involved in this area to exchange ideas and lay those foundations,” he explained.

He considered that the future of CTPAT lies in private initiatives in the sense of technological innovation for prevention in order to identify threats that may attack.

Juan Gallardo mentioned that after Covid, validations are changed every year , some of them are done virtually, as well as with members and associations to share information, more work with foreign customs to have a mutual recognition agreement, among other actions.

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