In the context of RECO ‘s 30th anniversary , specialists from the public and private sectors agreed that the reform to the Customs Law in Mexico does not only represent a regulatory change, but a profound transformation in the way foreign trade operates, based on technology, compliance and transparency.

During the panel “The reform of the Customs Law and its implications for foreign trade” , Zaira Biridiana Luján Guevara, Director of Customs Operations at the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) , explained that one of the central axes is the digitization of processes and the incorporation of advanced technologies to strengthen traceability and eradicate practices such as evasion and corruption.

“The intention is to build a more robust and equitable system, but we need the participation of all actors: importers, customs agents and the authorities,” he said.

From an operational perspective, Javier Alejandro Dávila Chávez, Director of National Operations at ADUAX , emphasized that the reform implies a change of mindset: moving from a corrective logic to a preventive one .

“Today, customs compliance must anticipate the operation. Technology, prevention at the source, and compliance as a business asset are key factors,” he stated.

In this regard, he highlighted that more and more companies are strengthening controls from the beginning of the chain, including inspections at origin and the integration of complete digital files before dispatch, which reduces the risk of fines, delays and additional costs.

For his part, Antonio De la Rosa, ambassador of Grupo Inversor Veracruzano (GRIVER) , considered that, although the customs reform increases the pressure on the actors in the sector, it also opens an opportunity to organize the operation .

“The responsibility has always been there, but now it is more evident. The customs agent ceases to be just a manager and becomes an assistant to the authority,” he explained.

This new approach also implies greater involvement of the importer, who must be actively involved in aspects such as the valuation and classification of goods .

“They cannot completely delegate the operation; they must know their products and their fiscal and legal impact,” he added.

Similarly, Baruc de la Fuente Lozada, Legal Business Partner at GRIVER, emphasized that the use of technology and transparency will be key to building companies that are trustworthy in the eyes of the authorities.

“A clear, traceable operation that adheres to the standard generates certainty and facilitates recognition as a reliable operator,” he noted.

In the financial sector, Vicente Alberto Vargas Acevedo of HSBC Mexico highlighted that the reform to the Customs Law also impacts guarantee mechanisms , such as customs accounts. Although it opens the possibility of operating through letters of credit, there are still regulatory aspects to be defined.

“There are working groups with authorities and banks to refine these processes and move towards more efficient, including electronic, schemes,” he explained.

The panelists agreed that the concept of traceability of goods, processes and financial resources becomes non-negotiable in the new regulatory environment.

Technological adoption, strict compliance, and shared responsibility among stakeholders will make the difference between those who adapt successfully and those who face greater risks in their operations.

It is worth remembering that the reform to the Customs Law, which came into effect on January 1st, introduces changes that seek to modernize processes, strengthen oversight and close loopholes for smuggling and evasion in Mexican customs.

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El cargo Reform to the Customs Law redefines foreign trade in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

In an era before social media and when technology was just beginning to become part of everyday life, foreign trade relied on physical documentation, manual validations, and considerably long processing times. RECO , now a business unit of Grupo Inversor Veracruzano (GRIVER) , was born as a pioneer in the technological transformation of the customs sector in Mexico.

Currently, in an environment where digitalization is constantly redefining the rules of foreign trade, the company commemorated its 30th anniversary .

During the celebration, Edgar López Hernández , CEO of GRIVER, recalled that RECO was founded in 1996 in Veracruz, at a pivotal moment for the country, marked by trade liberalization and the challenges arising from the North American Free Trade Agreement. From its inception, he explained, the company responded to an urgent need: to improve efficiency and connectivity in foreign trade operations through the use of technology .

“The internet was just beginning to gain momentum, and networks became the means to connect the nodes of the business. This is how RECO emerged, as an acronym for Networks and Consulting in Foreign Trade,” he noted.

The executive highlighted that, from its early years, the company developed innovative solutions such as systems for generating customs declarations and one of the first pre-validation systems in the country, laying the foundations for what is now a key technological ecosystem for customs agencies, importers and exporters.

In an interview with T21, López indicated that, over three decades, RECO has evolved in step with the regulatory and operational demands of Mexican foreign trade , adapting to structural changes in customs, ports and regulations.

For López, one of the biggest current challenges is the adoption of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digitization , as well as anticipating the transformations driven by the authority.

“The greatest contribution we can make today is to anticipate, integrate regulations into our developments, and offer timely solutions that help our clients comply and operate efficiently,” he said.

For his part, Juan Montiel, commercial director of RECO, reviewed some of the most relevant milestones in the company’s history, such as the development of the first customs declaration capture systems in a Windows environment, the creation of comprehensive platforms for customs operations, and the expansion towards new players in foreign trade.

He also highlighted the evolution towards data-driven and AI-based models, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that accelerated the company’s digital transformation.

“Companies will not disappear because of artificial intelligence, but they will because of competition that does adopt it,” he warned, citing a reflection on the future of the sector.

Beyond technology, the event also emphasized the human factor as a key element in RECO’s trajectory. Employees highlighted the organizational culture , teamwork, and adaptability as elements that have allowed the company to remain relevant for 30 years.

Today, RECO positions itself as a benchmark in technological innovation applied to foreign trade , with solutions that seek not only to optimize processes, but also to guarantee security, traceability and regulatory compliance.

Looking ahead, the company is committed to expanding its reach to new users and strengthening the development of interconnected digital ecosystems , in line with the growing demands of an increasingly complex and digitized foreign trade.

“We hope that these first 30 years are just the beginning of many more,” said López Hernández.

Specifically, Ricardo Víctores, Director of Digital Business, emphasized that the challenge is not only to adopt technology, but to integrate it strategically into the entire foreign trade ecosystem.

“Live data, automation, risk management with artificial intelligence, and interoperability will no longer be differentiators; they will be indispensable,” he stated.

Likewise, RECO aims to consolidate itself as a comprehensive technological enabler of foreign trade, expanding its reach beyond customs agencies to serve all actors in the logistics chain .

The company is working on the development of interconnected platforms that support each stage of an operation, from import planning to final delivery, incorporating tools based on real-time data, regulatory compliance automation, and artificial intelligence solutions.

This approach seeks to respond to an increasingly complex environment, where efficiency, traceability and the ability to anticipate regulatory changes will be critical factors of competitiveness.

“We are not waiting for the authorities to make it mandatory; today we are already developing solutions so that our clients not only adapt, but become leaders within the sector,” Víctores emphasized.

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El cargo RECO celebrates 30 years of driving technological evolution in foreign trade in Mexico apareció primero en T21.

On the docks of the port of Veracruz, where goods never stop moving and the sea breeze mingles with the sound of cranes, a story that is now inscribed in the pages of Mexican foreign trade began to take shape more than three decades ago. There, a group of customs agents decided in the 1990s that their destiny could not be limited to processing documents and opening files . The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) had just transformed the economic landscape and, with it, the way logistics is understood in Mexico.

“That was the turning point,” recalls Edgar López, CEO of Grupo Inversor Veracruzano (GRIVER) , in an interview with T21. “NAFTA forced us to think differently, to look outward and invest in port infrastructure to facilitate the import and export of containerized cargo, as well as in the development of systems for managing customs clearance .”

What began as a collection of small businesses involved in foreign trade took legal form in 2002. Thus, GRIVER was born, with a distinctive hallmark: turning every global change into an opportunity. The internet, digitalization, the cloud, and now artificial intelligence have marked the stages of its evolution. Since then, GRIVER has maintained a distinctive hallmark: operating with precision in foreign trade, relying on technological innovation, and staying ahead of industry changes . That’s why its most recent commitment is now strengthened with two projects that seek to strengthen supply chains on two complementary fronts. In the logistics field, with the creation of Neutral Connection Logistics (NCL) , a company dedicated to international Consolidated Cargo freight, which integrates technological solutions for merchandise management. And on the maritime front, with the relaunch of cabotage and Short Distance Maritime Transport (SDM) , a project that aims to give Mexico and Central America new paths to competitiveness.

LEARNING FROM THE SEA

In 2020, just as the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, GRIVER launched a project that seemed destined to be a milestone: a coastal and short-sea shipping circuit in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship had barely set sail when health restrictions grounded it. For GRIVER, it was an investment in deep knowledge . “The investment in failure is the investment in learning,” López insists.

That learning is now preparing a new endeavor. The goal is to relaunch a route in 2026 connecting the ports of Santo Tomás de Castilla in Guatemala, Puerto Morelos, Progreso, Veracruz, Matamoros in Mexico, and Houston in the USA . This time with multiple anchor loads: used vehicles traveling from the United States to Central America, steel flowing from Veracruz to Houston, and agricultural products from the northern triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala) seeking to compete in the Riviera Maya tourism market. The objective is not to compete with land transportation, but to complement it. “Maritime transportation allows us to reach new markets, reduces road risks, minimizes costs, and ensures traceability,” explains the executive.

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El cargo GRIVER’s new wave: logistics innovation and maritime routes apareció primero en T21.