The meat trade between Mexico and the United States demands a logistics system capable of maintaining timeliness, food safety, and the cold chain. Although trucking dominates border crossings, rail is beginning to gain ground as an alternative for building intermodal, two-way routes .

In 2025, Mexico imported more than 1.24 million tons of pork and 209,000 tons of beef from the United States , with a combined value exceeding $4.1 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) . Mexico also exported meat to 27 countries and shipped 304,000 tons to the U.S. market, representing 65.6% of its total exports, according to the 2025 Statistical Compendium of the Mexican Meat Council (Comecarne) .

This influx opened up opportunities for refrigerated rail services. In August 2025, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) of Mexico announced the addition of SuKarne to its refrigerated container solution, operated with Americold to the United States.

“We have Senasica personnel in an office alongside USDA staff to handle meat imports and expedite inspections from Kansas City. What we’re trying to do is streamline the process. Senasica welcomed this as a way to alleviate congestion and provide support at the border. In Salinas Victoria, we have an inspection point, and obviously in Laredo, where many shipments converge. Finally, at the Toluca ramp, we just received permission to receive grains, cotton, and dog food,” explained Linda Hernández, Business and Industrial Development Manager for the company, at the 2026 National Freight Transportation Forum of the National Association of Private Transportation (ANTP) .

CPKC has 1,000 temperature-controlled containers and four inspection points at the point of origin authorized by the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica) . This aims to prevent disruptions and delays.

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El cargo On steel rails: the new meat route apareció primero en T21.

Logistics competitiveness is no longer measured solely by opinions. The World Bank (WB) has introduced a profound transformation of its international assessment by replacing the traditional Logistics Performance Index , based primarily on surveys of industry professionals, with the Logistics Performance Indicators (LPI) 2.0 , a system built with millions of operational records of shipments, vessels, and cargo movements.

The new methodology abandons the overall rating and the single country ranking. Instead, it incorporates 21 indicators—six core and 15 supplementary— that separately analyze the connectivity, speed, and reliability of maritime, air, and postal supply chains. The first results correspond to 2023 and 2024.

The change alters how logistics performance is assessed. A country can no longer simply boast a position in a global ranking ; now it must demonstrate how many markets it directly connects, how long cargo remains immobilized, and how predictable its logistics processes are.

For Mexico, the first analysis leaves one clear conclusion: the country maintains competitive maritime connectivity , but continues to lag behind in the speed at which goods leave its ports.

Maritime connectivity: Mexico surpasses Brazil and Canada, but remains far behind the leaders

In 2024, Mexico was connected by direct maritime services to 52 economies , one less than a year earlier.

Economies connected through direct maritime services (2024)

The indicator shows that Mexico maintains a maritime network superior to that of Canada, Brazil, and Chile . However, it is still far behind major global logistics hubs such as the United States, China, the Netherlands, and Singapore.

However, the World Bank warns that connectivity represents only one part of logistics performance . The real challenge lies in transforming that network of services into goods available for production and consumption.

The main delay occurs when the cargo arrives in the country

That is where Mexico has its worst result.

During 2024, import containers remained an average of 9.3 days inside the port before departing for their final destination.

Average stay of imported container (2024)

Mexico registered the worst performance among the economies compared.

On average, one container remained:

• 3.4 days longer than in China.
• 5.1 days longer than in the United States.
• 7.2 days longer than in Singapore.

The result is even more significant because the indicator doesn’t just measure port performance . It also incorporates the time associated with customs clearance, inspections, document release, goods removal, availability of land transport, and road and rail access.

The median length of stay also places Mexico at the bottom of the group, while the dispersion of times increased between 2023 and 2024, a sign that the system not only became slower, but also less predictable.

China is a particularly relevant example . Despite operating the world’s largest manufacturing platform and one of its largest port systems, it maintained an average stay of 5.9 days, well below Mexico’s.

In air cargo the difference is reduced, but it persists

Air transport shows better performance for Mexico, although it also registered a deterioration compared to 2023.

Average stay of air imports (2024)

Mexico ranked only behind Panama and Brazil within the American continent, although still far from the main international hubs .

While China reduced its average time from 1.5 to 1.3 days between 2023 and 2024, Mexico went from 1.8 to two days.

Postal logistics are also losing speed

Another of the new indicators of the LPI 2.0 corresponds to business-to-business (B2B) postal logistics , used as a reference to evaluate e-commerce and small-scale international shipments.

Mexico slightly increased its connectivity, but the average delivery time increased.

Average B2B postal delivery time (2024)

Although Mexico expanded its postal connections to 84 economies, the average delivery time increased from 9.6 to 10.9 days between 2023 and 2024.

China followed the opposite trend: it significantly increased its connectivity and reduced its average delivery time from 7.7 to seven days.

A new way to measure logistics competitiveness

The World Bank’s main contribution is not simply to change one ranking for another.

LPI 2.0 shifts the analysis from available infrastructure to the actual performance of supply chains .

Now it matters less how many cranes, terminals or routes a country has and more how long it takes for merchandise to be reintegrated into the economy.

Under that logic, Mexico appears as an economy with relatively solid maritime connectivity, superior to that of Brazil, Canada and Chile, but with important areas of opportunity in the liberalization of goods.

The comparison with China is particularly illustrative. Both countries actively participate in international trade and have extensive manufacturing platforms. However, China not only connects directly with almost twice as many economies as Mexico, but also moves its imports more quickly.

The conclusion of the World Bank’s new system is clear: logistical competitiveness will no longer depend solely on installed capacity, but on the speed and certainty with which cargo manages to traverse the entire supply chain.

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El cargo World Bank’s new Logistics Performance Indicators (LPI) 2.0 reveals lags in the export of goods apareció primero en T21.

The  Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported a 9.8% increase in freight movement between Mexico and the United States during the first 27 weeks of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

According to the agency, the accumulated volume on Mexican railways during that period was 700,187 railcars and containers, as well as intermodal trailers .

In that sense, intermodal had a growth of 15.5%, grains registered an increase of 12.2%, while vehicles and parts increased 9.5% year-on-year.

Conversely, the AAR detailed that four segments experienced declines: coal; forest products; oil and its derivatives; and other products with 98.9%, 14.8%, 11.8% and 14.9%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

He detailed that Mexican railway companies reported 14,182 loaded railcars in the week ending July 11, an increase of 24.6% compared to the same period in 2025, and 14,082 intermodal units , which meant an annual increase of 55.4 percent.

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El cargo Full steam ahead! Rail freight between Mexico and the US is growing: AAR apareció primero en T21.

Air cargo transport in Mexico maintains a positive trend during 2026, registering five consecutive months of growth , driven by the international market, mainly from Asia.

According to figures from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) , between January and May of this year 507,792.5 tons of cargo were moved, representing an increase of 5.5% compared to the 481,322.3 tons reported in the same period of 2025.

Of the country’s top 10 airports, the largest growth was recorded by the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) , as it ended the period with 167,262.9 tons, that is, 14,738.5 tons more.

Meanwhile, the Toluca International Airport (AIT) experienced a 27.2% year-on-year decline, going from 13,151.5 tons in the January-May 2025 cycle to 9,580.4 tons in the same period of 2026.

AFAC specified that at the domestic level there was a year-on-year drop of 0.5% , as it ended with 151,170 tons during the comparison period, that is, 759.6 tons less.

The airports of Guadalajara, Tijuana, San Luis Potosí, Hermosillo and Cancún showed a decrease during that period, with 2.1%, 4.7%, 10.6%, 23.1% and 3.9%, respectively.

Meanwhile, the international market increased by 8.3% year-on-year , rising from 329,392.7 tons to 356,622.5 tons. AIFA remains the leading airport in cargo traffic, with an 11.3% increase from January to May of this year compared to the same period in 2015.

The agency indicated that the fastest growing routes were Shanghai-AIFA with a 42.3% increase , Mexico-Madrid with 19.5% more, Saint Lucia-Frankfurt with a 1.5% increase, and Memphis-Guadalajara with 15.3 percent.

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El cargo Air cargo in Mexico marks its fifth consecutive month of growth: AFAC apareció primero en T21.

During April 2026, international air cargo traffic reached 345,900 tons to, from and within Latin America and the Caribbean, representing a year-on-year growth of 3.7 percent .

According to the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) , Colombia, Brazil and Mexico were the three largest markets in the region, as they showed year-on-year growth for the second consecutive month.

Colombia moved 82,547 tons, an increase of 3.2% compared to April 2025. Brazil moved 77,678 tons, which meant an increase of 4% annually; while Mexico transported 54,842 tons, 8.4% more than in the same month last year.

“Mexico was the third largest international air cargo market in April and the main contributor to regional growth. The result was driven by the Mexico-United States corridor, which grew 9.1% and accumulated two consecutive months of expansion after the 32.1% drop recorded in February,” the organization emphasized.

ALTA explained that this behavior coincided with a 16.3% increase in air imports from the United States to that country.

Among the main international corridors, Mexico-China registered the highest growth with 28.2%, derived from a 38.8% increase in imports from that Asian country.

Meanwhile, the United States continued to be the main source and destination market for international air cargo in the region, accounting for more than half of the tons transported.

“Traffic between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean grew 2.2% year-on-year in April and marked two consecutive months of growth,” ALTA said.

The market between Spain and Latin America and the Caribbean also maintained a positive trend during April. Air cargo grew 6.2% year-on-year, supported by increased flows between Spain and Mexico, as well as between Brazil and Spain. In the first four months of the year, traffic between the region and Spain accumulated growth of 7%.

ALTA also reported that regional growth was concentrated mainly in Mexico, Panama and Brazil , which showed most of the net increase observed in April.

In the January-April period, the market registered an expansion of 0.3% , driven mainly by growth between the United States and Argentina.

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El cargo Air cargo grows in Latin America and the Caribbean during April apareció primero en T21.

Influenced by competitive rates compared to maritime transport and e-commerce , air cargo traffic in Mexico continues to rise. From January to April 2026 alone, it registered a 6.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to statistics from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) , the country handled 403,069.2 tons during the first four months of the year, that is, 24,317.1 tons more year-on-year.

Humberto López, head of Air Product at  Eternity Group Mexico , explained that due to the conflict in the Middle East, as well as an increase in demand and certain complications in maritime routes, there was an increase in fares.

“The difference between air and sea freight is decreasing, and therefore, many customers, in order to meet their commitments and deliver on time, are switching from ships to planes; in other words, the volume has increased precisely because of the variations in sea freight,” he said in an interview with T21.

He specified that the merchandise being transported by plane is from e-commerce, which continues to grow despite trade restrictions and tariffs ; the Mexico-China route alone continues to increase.

“We see that, in the case of China, the fastest-growing route was from Shanghai to AIFA and from Hong Kong to Guadalajara. This has a lot to do with e-commerce, but also with electronics, spare parts in general, textiles, and consumer products; this is what has been driving the increase in volume,” he commented.

The AFAC reported that domestic cargo increased from 119,121.6 tons between January and April 2025 to 119,740.2 tons during the same period in 2026, representing a 0.5 percent rise. The airports of Querétaro, Mexico City International Airport (AICM) , Guadalajara, and Monterrey stood out in this regard, showing growth.

Internationally, cargo volume increased by 9.1% , reaching 283,329 tons by the end of the period. The Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and Guadalajara contributed to this increase.

“The conflict affected maritime cargo and caused many customers to withdraw; on the other hand, the constant growth of e-commerce and other products on routes from Asia to Mexico, and there are also companies that have been changing their way of working, making inventory adjustments,” Humberto López emphasized.

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El cargo Air cargo in Mexico “soars” in the first four months; e-commerce plays a role apareció primero en T21.

American Airlines has appointed Paola Torri as Chief Operating Officer for Mexico and Canada, a move that seeks to support the continued growth and strength of the airline’s operations in two of its most important international markets.

“It is an honor to assume this new role and continue building upon the strong foundation our teams have created in Mexico and Canada. Throughout my career at American, I have witnessed firsthand the dedication and talent of our people, and I am excited to work alongside them to further strengthen our operations, improve reliability, and deliver the exceptional service our customers expect,” said Torri.

The airline stated that this appointment is part of a broader reorganization of the management team across the region, building on the strong foundation established by the late Tony Gutiérrez, followed by José María Giraldo, who recently moved into a key leadership position in the United States.

Paola has over 25 years of experience at American Airlines . Most recently, she served as People Business Partner for the international division, based in Mexico City, supporting teams in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. She will continue to be based in Mexico City and will report to José A. Freig, Vice President of International Operations and In-Flight Catering Services.

American Airlines will offer more than 600 weekly flights this summer and up to 760 weekly flights during the peak winter season, including its recently expanded service to Puerto Escondido. In Canada, it will operate more than 390 weekly flights and continues its expansion with new service between Calgary and New York, complementing its existing service at LaGuardia.

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El cargo American Airlines appoints Paola Torri as Director of Operations for Mexico and Canada apareció primero en T21.

Robinson Fresh, CH Robinson ‘s fresh supply chain solutions division , opened its new logistics center in South Texas, significantly expanding its cross-border capabilities between Mexico and the United States.

José Rossignoli, president of Robinson Fresh, mentioned that cross-border supply chains currently demand speed, accuracy and a strict focus on the needs of each customer.

“This South Texas facility brings those capabilities together in one location, helping customers reduce lead times, control costs, and get products to market faster. It’s another example of how we’re offering carriers an integrated package of scale, technology, expertise, and customized solutions,” he said.

He indicated that 98% of all fresh produce imported from Mexico enters the United States through Texas , New Mexico, Arizona, or California. Of that total, 55% passes through Texas, making this logistics infrastructure increasingly critical for retailers and hospitality businesses focused on speed, freshness, and reliability.

The new logistics center is located in the town of Pharr, in the Rio Grande Valley, situated near the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, the most important border crossing between these countries for perishable products, as well as the Anzalduas International Bridge and others, it has easy access to Federal Highway 281, McAllen International Airport, the railroad and the ports of Brownsville and Matamoros (Mexico).

The newly constructed building features 69 loading docks, multiple temperature zones, and value-added services, and is certified to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards and USDA organic requirements. Directly integrated into CH Robinson’s comprehensive logistics platform and the nation’s largest temperature-controlled network, it is specifically designed to support fresh produce supply chains.

Furthermore, it allows for faster customs clearance and reduced stay times at the border, has immediate refrigeration, maturation, quality control and repackaging capabilities, as well as optimized consolidation and cross-dock operations .

“The more we can inspect, cool, repackage, and label products immediately at the border, the more we expand our ability to protect product quality from the moment it enters the United States, while also giving carriers more flexibility over how and when inventory arrives at its destination,” said Todd Bernitt, the firm’s vice president of Managed Solutions.

From South Texas, customers can efficiently reach major consumer markets across the country:

• Midwest and South: in one to three days.
• East Coast: in three or four days.
• West Coast: When the market demands it.

He indicated that by shortening transit times and improving network optionality, the facility helps customers improve fill rates, on-time performance, and inventory freshness.

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El cargo CH Robinson opens logistics center for fresh produce between the US and Mexico apareció primero en T21.

CALPULALPAN, TLAXCALA – The automotive transport sector in Mexico is experiencing a period of reduced activity. The economic slowdown, increased operating costs, and reduced exports are beginning to impact fleets, with car carriers idled and more cautious investment decisions by transport companies, acknowledged Xavier Augonnet, General Director for Mexico at Lohr .

“The economy is very slow, we know that. The decisions of the American president, the wars, the increased price of diesel, the significant drop in exports from Mexico… there is a market contraction,” the executive stated.

The impact is already being felt in the sector’s daily operations. According to Augonnet, some fleets dedicated to automotive transport have reduced activity, particularly those linked to exports to the United States .

“All our clients come through here, but they are all experiencing significant slowdowns in activity, with their businesses at a standstill,” he commented.

Despite this, the French company maintains its growth plans in the country and seeks to strengthen its participation in the national market, where it currently concentrates around 10% of the segment .

The company’s strategy aims to develop more robust local operations, both in manufacturing and in after-sales services and maintenance , with the goal of directly serving Mexican carriers from its plant in Calpulalpan, Tlaxcala.

“It doesn’t make sense for customers to buy a unit in the United States and then have to import it themselves. We’re here, we have operations, we have a repair center, and we’re going to develop more services,” Augonnet emphasized.

The executive explained that a year ago the company only worked with two clients in Mexico and now operates with eight, while the goal is to continue expanding its presence in the national market.

“I was hired to develop the Mexican market. I hope that tomorrow we will have 12 or 15 clients. The point is to capture the market,” he said.

Lohr ‘s investment in Mexico is also part of a broader regional strategy. François Lhomme, president of the Lohr Group, stated that the operation in Tlaxcala serves as the company’s industrial base for North America.

“Mexico is strategic for Lohr because it represents our industrial base for all of North America,” he stated.

From this facility, the company seeks to serve not only the Mexican market, but also the United States, Canada, and later other South American countries .

“We want to use this industrial base to serve all other countries up to Brazil,” Lhomme added.

Currently, the plant maintains around 200 employees, although the company expects to continue expanding capabilities and personnel in the coming years as the regional market develops.

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El cargo Lohr maintains its commitment to Mexico despite the contraction in automotive transport apareció primero en T21.

The Labor Day holiday in China, celebrated from May 1st to 5th, presents a logistical challenge for international trade due to the temporary closure of its main economic engines. This period results in a three- to five-day pause in factories and ports, disrupting the flow of goods to key markets such as Mexico . The holiday is not an isolated event, but rather a phenomenon that overwhelms the operational infrastructure in cities like Shanghai, Ningbo, and Shenzhen.

In an interview with T21, Arturo Gómez Marín, senior manager of Customs and Foreign Trade at  CGA Customs Consulting , explained the magnitude of the problem in the global supply chain .

“ Both the available space in China and the use and availability of containers are beginning to experience significant saturation, because if we look at it as a chain, there is already a demand for ships and containers. So, with this overdemand and the resulting shortage, you start to see an effect with the increase in maritime freight costs; then you begin to see a bottleneck generated by this saturation in Chinese ports,” he noted.

In Mexico, the five-day shutdown of these three Chinese ports directly impacts the customs offices in Manzanillo, Colima, and Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán , which could face bottlenecks, as delays could extend up to 15 days within the country. As a result, storage and demurrage costs increase.

“For an importer, an operator in Mexico could have an impact of up to 30 percent. Because remember that you’re dealing with the increased freight costs in China, and you’re also paying for additional handling at Mexican ports. So, you’re already seeing a significant increase,” he indicated.

The situation is further complicated by geopolitical factors, Gómez explained, such as conflicts in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz , which limit the supply of raw materials. This scarcity forces buyers to seek inputs in other regions at higher prices to avoid complete production shutdowns. The combination of holidays and geopolitical crises creates a highly uncertain scenario for importers and affects certain sectors more than others, such as the automotive industry.

“There are materials that are needed for production, and it’s more expensive not to have them than to pay those extra costs (…)  the automotive industry, of course, a plant shutdown is very costly. I think the chemical industry, because shutting down a reactor is also very complex. I believe they would be absorbing the extra costs,” he warned.

For sectors involving finished goods, such as textiles, footwear, or toys, the recommendation is usually to wait for logistics to stabilize after the holidays . However, any decision must be accompanied by sound planning to avoid compromising operations. “I believe that right now the supply chain needs to be strategic,” Gómez emphasized.

Recommendations for importers

Both Gómez and Jocelyn Martínez, senior import contracts analyst at Eternity Group Mexico , shared a series of recommendations with T21 to mitigate the impact of the holiday and ensure the continuity of business operations:

• Anticipation: Plan shipments, make bookings and shipping arrangements at least four weeks in advance of the start of the holiday and confirm itineraries.
• Document management: Request documents such as certificates of origin or invoice corrections well in advance of the closure of administrative offices in China. Also, ensure that commercial invoices, packing lists , and certificates are ready before closing time.
• Safety stock: Maintain a reserve stock that covers an additional two to four weeks of regular demand to avoid shortages.
• Direct routes: Avoid services with transshipments, as the risk of cargo being stranded in intermediate ports increases during the reorganization of shipping lines’ schedules.
• Plan B: Explore alternative ports and shipping companies to diversify entry options.
• Direct communication: Confirm with suppliers the actual dates of closure and restart of operations at 100%, as many factories extend their breaks beyond the official days.

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El cargo From Labor Day in China to logistics costs in Mexico apareció primero en T21.