The growing geopolitical tension in the Middle East, which has forced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, opens a window of opportunity for nearshoring in the Cali-Baja region , which, being close to the United States, the world’s largest consumer market, can be an option for various industries that still have part of their production in Asia.

“This could be an opportunity to position Cali-Baja and Mexico as relocation centers, since our geography continues to help us a lot to bring all the supply chain closer to the production points and finally to the consumption points,” said Bertha Martínez, coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in International Logistics at CETYS University Campus Mexicali .

In an interview with T21, the specialist explained that the crisis in Hormuz is accelerating the need to regionalize supply chains , to make them more centralized and less fragmented, given the uncertainty that prevails in world trade.

“Supply chains are no longer focused so much on costs; they must focus on resilience, on the ability to resolve unforeseen events in times of uncertainty , when they become fragile and inflection points begin. Perhaps what makes us most vulnerable right now is what can ultimately make us stronger,” Martínez explained.

In this context, the Cali-Baja region becomes an attractive point for companies that are looking to diversify their supply and logistics routes to reduce their dependence on critical or strategic blocks.

Cali-Baja, which encompasses San Diego and Imperial counties in the United States and Baja California in Mexico, is one of the most important areas for the process of reconfiguring supply chains in North America.

According to the  Binational Trade & Competitiveness Report 2025 , prepared by the  World Trade Center San Diego , 30% of the foreign value added present in U.S. exports comes from Mexico and Canada , reflecting the integration of the three countries in North American supply chains.

One of the trends that companies are implementing to anticipate disruptions is inventory planning , as they seek to strengthen their stock , but not at the point of sale, as traditionally happens.

“We are now seeing inventories as fragmented around the world; they are being established as safety stockpiles in different locations so that when there are routes that cannot be accessed or points that cannot be considered for operation at that moment, they can be moved to other places,” he pointed out.

Martínez considered that Cali-Baja could have an advantage in that situation, since its geographical location makes it a strategic area.

“It could be a kind of hub where companies could locate their inventories in case of any disruption or crisis at a global level, so that companies have these safety stocks,” he noted, emphasizing that this could accelerate the arrival of investments to Baja California.

In 2025 alone, Baja California attracted 1.892 billion dollars, placing it in fourth position nationally, according to data from the Ministry of Economy (SE) .

Crisis in Hormuz triggers logistical costs

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has caused an increase in the price of gasoline and diesel in the United States, fuels essential for the cross-border transport of goods.

“They’ve already seen price increases; for example, the price of gasoline in the Los Angeles, California area has risen by almost 70 cents per gallon, which is quite significant. The same has happened with diesel. The price is between five dollars and 5.30 dollars per gallon in Southern California,” Martínez explained.

Data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) indicates that diesel has increased by 34% compared to the price recorded before the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran, representing the largest increase in more than three years.

The increase in fuel prices in the United States is impacting logistics costs, because they directly affect inputs in this sector, which has also led to an increase in freight prices , due to the integration of supply chains between Mexico and the United States.

The logistics specialist commented that in California, these supplies are more expensive than in other states in the neighboring country to the north. “The cost structure in the logistics sector, due to fuel and diesel prices, is already being affected. Carriers are beginning to see these changes and are starting to be more strategic in their supply chains.”

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately a quarter (25%) of the world’s maritime oil trade passes, has registered a drastic drop of 97% in daily transits.

Despite this, global supply chains are shifting from cost efficiency to risk management. In this context, Cali-Baja emerges as one of the best-positioned regions to capitalize on a current situation affecting various economic blocs worldwide .

The second edition of ETYL Cali-Baja (Transport and Logistics Meeting) will take place on May 14th.  This forum, organized by Grupo T21 , will bring together industry leaders and nearly 200 attendees at the Real Inn Hotel in Tijuana. Through four panels, specialists will analyze the  challenges and opportunities in the binational logistics context and its impact on supply chains .

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El cargo Cali-Baja, an opportunity for nearshoring amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz apareció primero en T21.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has ceased to be a futuristic promise and has become a determining factor in the competitiveness of companies throughout supply chains.

During the panel Harmony in the Real-Time Supply Chain: Perfect Execution and Visibility with AI , organized by the National Council of Logistics and Supply Chain Executives (Conalog) , industry experts agreed that the adoption of AI is inevitable for survival and success in an increasingly complex environment.

Elias Sacristán, Senior Manager for Kenvue Latin America, emphasized that the real challenge is not just adopting AI, but also having a solid database so that it can unleash its potential.

“Companies that fail to mature their data structures are destined to disappear in the long term,” he warned.

Sacristán identified four fundamental pillars to ensure data reliability: accuracy, governance, quality, and trustworthiness.

Without them, he said, implementing AI in the supply chain would not only be ineffective, but risky.

He also highlighted the importance of technologies such as warehouse management systems (WMS), transportation management systems (TMS), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to achieve true real-time visibility.

For his part, Jaime Ponce, a consultant at Muttdata and executive at PepsiCo , explained how the implementation of AI in the company allowed for improved demand forecasting and optimized inventory management .

“We went from looking for a needle in a haystack to using advanced tools that helped us identify consumption patterns and reduce inventory levels by more than a day in Latin America and two days globally,” he said.

Automation and the future of decision-making

One of the key points of the panel was the impact of AI on decision automation .

According to Gartner data , 60% of supply chain decisions are more complex than they were five years ago, while 70% of human decisions in this area could be delegated to AI.

Jaime Estrada, Sales Director for Latam at Blue Yonder , emphasized that AI is separating companies into two groups: those that adapt and those that will be left behind.

“AI is here to stay and is the differentiator between winners and losers. It’s not a question of whether we adopt it, but when and how we do it,” he said.

In this sense, companies must go through three phases of evolution in decision-making.

First, AI-supported decisions , where the technology acts as a reference for humans ; then , AI-augmented decisions , a hybrid model where both humans and AI actively participate ; and finally, automated decisions , where AI not only makes decisions but also executes actions autonomously.

The challenge of integrating AI into a single ecosystem

A crucial aspect of AI implementation is the integration of all systems into a single platform.

Estrada explained that Blue Yonder relies on a centralized model that allows for complete visibility and autonomous decision-making.

“It’s not enough to have AI in different areas; we need a single ecosystem where intelligence flows and allows for real-time operations,” he emphasized.

The panel was clear: the future of the supply chain lies in AI, but its success will depend on data quality, technological integration, and mature decision-making.

In an environment where volatility and uncertainty are the norm, those who succeed in implementing these solutions will be better positioned to face tomorrow’s challenges.

El cargo AI in the supply chain, the key to success apareció primero en T21.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing retail, both in customer experience and in optimizing internal operations, so Rander Souza , strategic director of digital and AI at Genesys, said this is especially true on the back end , with a notable impact in areas such as personalized recommendations, intelligent virtual experiences and the development of demand-based products.

“The key is how AI can analyze data in real time to offer hyper-personalized recommendations, which dramatically improves the shopping experience,” Souza said.

He added that AI integration not only benefits customer experience but also optimizes retailers’ internal operations.

Souza noted that AI has the ability to predict consumer trends and demand cycles , helping to reduce unnecessary inventories and prepare warehouses and points of sale for the next wave of consumption.

“This allows retailers to reduce operational costs and increase overall efficiency, although these improvements are not always directly visible to consumers,” he said.

The executive noted that this challenge for retailers lies in replicating digital personalization in physical stores .

“Empowering employees with AI-based tools allows them to provide more empathetic and contextualized care, achieving more meaningful interactions,” explained Souza.

He noted that this includes real-time recommendations based on customer preferences , ensuring that every conversation is orchestrated with empathy and understanding.

On the other hand, Souza warned that retailers that do not prioritize the adoption of AI technologies risk losing relevance in an increasingly competitive market.

“A negative experience can completely change the perception of a brand. Integrating AI can inspire loyalty and satisfaction, while failing to do so could result in customer loss and damage to the business,” Souza said.

Predictive analytics and real-time personalization

According to Souza, predictive analytics is one of the most powerful AI tools in retail , as it allows anticipating customer needs and behaviors, offering proactive solutions that improve both personalization and operational efficiency.

The specialist highlighted that the role of the predictive model allows retailers to interact with customers in real time, understanding risks such as shopping cart abandonment and mitigating potential losses.

“Building trust is critical. Retailers must invest in advanced security practices to protect customer data. Identity verification and multi-factor authentication methods are key tools to ensure security and foster consumer trust,” Souza said.

He also highlighted the importance of omnichannel to offer a fluid experience, so “retailers must implement integrated experience platforms that eliminate silos and allow for consistent interaction across all channels.”

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El cargo AI as a transformative driver of retail apareció primero en T21.