The review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) , nearshoring (relocation of production lines), and the integration of supply chains place trucking and customs at the center of North American competitiveness; however, to take advantage of this scenario, Mexico must resolve challenges in infrastructure, security, digitalization, and trade facilitation.

During the Mexico’s Nearshoring & Logistics Auto Industry Summit, Manuel Sotelo Suárez, deputy secretary general of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) , highlighted that road transport not only moves goods, but also sustains the operation of manufacturing plants, investments and jobs .

In that context, he said that reliability in logistics chains will be one of the main factors for Mexico to continue attracting nearshoring -related projects .

In a context where around 80% of trade between Mexico, the United States and Canada moves by land transport , and 73.6% of the value of trade between Mexico and the United States crosses by road , road transport has become an essential component for the automotive industry.

However, Sotelo warned that the nearshoring opportunity can only be consolidated if the country improves its road infrastructure, security, operator training, process digitization, and greater coordination between authorities, customs, companies, and carriers.

“It’s not about relaxing controls, but about making them smarter, more coordinated, and supported by technology. We don’t need more friction. This efficiency is primarily linked to digitalization. Digitalization will be one of the most important changes in transportation and customs. Artificial intelligence will help to plan routes and anticipate risks,” he pointed out.

He believed that the movement of goods at the border must evolve from bottlenecks to competitiveness platforms through intelligent and technology-supported processes.

“ The border should be a competitive advantage . Greater efficiency means less downtime, which gives us lower costs, greater peace of mind, fewer emissions, and more confidence to invest,” he explained.

Among the priorities for 2035, Sotelo highlighted strategic corridors, greater exchange of information between the private sector and the authorities, as well as strengthening logistical security to lower costs and improve the reliability of supply chains.

For his part, Fernando Ramos, founder and president of the Latin American Confederation of Customs Agents (CLAA) , emphasized that Mexican customs is facing a transformation that goes beyond tax collection. From his perspective, it must fulfill the functions of collecting, controlling, and facilitating foreign trade, without limiting the country’s competitiveness .

“Tax revenue is important in a country like Mexico, but so is growth. If customs doesn’t facilitate trade, the country doesn’t grow. When there are frictions at customs, when there are problems of interpretation between importers and the customs authority or between us customs agents and customs brokers, that problem becomes logistical chaos and a reputational problem,” he explained.

The specialist explained that the coexistence of different authorities and the fragmentation of functions create operational challenges that affect the efficiency of goods dispatch.

“Today we have a serious problem, because although the ANAM (National Customs Agency of Mexico) was created , the SAT (Tax Administration Service) has not stopped participating; on the contrary, with the reform that came into effect on January 1 (2026), the SAT now has even stronger power. But there are the military and civilians, and now there is a third participant, the famous Digital Transformation and Technology Agency, and the confrontation between these three agencies; the challenge is how to govern in the best way, because what we have today is fragmentation ,” he explained.

Ramos emphasized that digital transformation is essential to boosting the competitiveness of foreign trade, but cautioned that technology alone will not solve the problems without institutional coordination and clear rules for importers, customs brokers, and authorities. He also noted that delays at border crossings and ports generate additional costs that directly impact supply chains in sectors such as automotive.

Regarding the review of the USMCA, he maintained that the treaty should promote performance standards for customs, prioritizing speed, transparency, predictability, and trade facilitation . In his view, regional competitiveness will depend on customs processes allowing for the timely flow of inputs and goods.

It’s worth noting that on July 1st, the United States decided not to extend the treaty in its current form for an additional 16 years. The agreement remains in effect until 2036, but under a system of annual reviews that prevents planning long-term investments under stable rules.

The panel explained that transportation efficiency, digitalization, security, and trade facilitation are all part of the same equation for maintaining North American productive integration and taking advantage of the opportunities arising from nearshoring and the USMCA.

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Scania Mexico is advancing in the consolidation of its Used and Multibrand division in Mexico , with the start of functions of David Hernandez as manager of Corporate Accounts and Used Vehicles, who will be in charge of promoting the positioning of used vehicles as a competitive and reliable option, in addition to expanding the Multibrand proposal to meet the current needs of the market.

The company’s strategy is to strengthen an offering that positions itself as a strategic alternative for fleets seeking to maintain their operations with reliable units, flexible acquisition schemes, and direct brand support, the company said in a press release.

This business line is becoming increasingly important to the manufacturer’s commercial portfolio, promising competitive pricing and inspection and conditioning processes that meet certified standards. These elements are becoming key factors for operational continuity and investment decisions within the trucking industry .

Access to these units is supported by a digital marketplace and Scania’s national network of branches, where customers access information and specialized support, from vehicle selection to its commissioning, the company highlighted.

With these actions, the company seeks to support its customers throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle, expanding its value proposition and strengthening confidence in every investment decision.

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GUADALAJARA, JALISCO – Mexico is burdened with aging fleets, saturated routes, a shortage of drivers  , and increasing pressure to migrate to cleaner technologies. All of this is happening simultaneously, in a context where the energy transition is no longer a futuristic aspiration, but an immediate challenge for cities and the trucking industry, according to experts.

That is the starting point for the discussions that various international and national voices have put on the table: how to achieve sustainable transport without losing sight of the operational , financial and social reality of the country.

The setting for the discussion: Expo Transporte ANPACT 2025 and its panel “Modernization of road transport” , where specialists commented that one of the deepest problems is that Mexico has an unequal fleet.

While private tractor-trailers average between eight and 10 years of age, the federal public service fleet reaches 19 years, with units that continue to circulate under obsolete emissions standards, explained Jesús Padilla, founding president of the Mexican Association of Transportation and Mobility (AMTM) .

This gap impacts everything: pollution, fuel consumption, costs, and safety. A modern vehicle can pollute up to 90% less and consume about 20% less fuel than one manufactured two decades ago, explained Leonardo Gómez, executive president of the National Association of Private Transportation (ANTP) .

But technology alone doesn’t solve anything. Another structural problem is financial capacity. Renewing fleets, adapting infrastructure, or migrating to clean energy requires resources that are currently insufficient, the panelists explained.

One of the participants was the Swedish ambassador to Mexico, Gunnar Alden, who stressed that “investment is very important” and highlighted the relevance of cooperation between companies, government, academia and civil society to promote sustainable transportation solutions.

He pointed out that it is necessary to create collaboration centers , like those that exist in Sweden, where these four sectors work together in the search for comprehensive solutions.

Based on the experience of public transportation, it is recognized that Mexico would need at least 100 billion pesos annually to maintain operating systems, renew units, and sustain fares that do not affect the user, Padilla said.

And that’s where another dilemma arises: governments promote modernization strategies, but budgets don’t keep pace . Meanwhile, systems deteriorate, maintenance becomes more expensive, and service quality declines. Users lose mobility, and cities lose competitiveness, Padilla explained.

These challenges are compounded by the climate emergency. Electromobility has gone from being a trend to a necessity, but it comes with new questions: Where should the energy come from? What should be done with the batteries once they reach the end of their lifespan? How can we prepare cities where there is no longer space for charging stations or parking areas?

It’s a technical problem, but also an environmental one. Johanna Wysluch, director of projects: sustainable cities and transport, German cooperation agency GIZ , pointed out that if the transition is not accompanied by circular economy schemes (recycling, second life batteries, materials recovery), Mexico could face a new type of pollution .

Wysluch said that more than 1,800 tons of lithium-ion batteries have already been recovered through initiatives supported by international cooperation.

Digitization appears as an additional layer to the problem. Without data, there is no planning. Without planning , there is no efficiency. The experience in Oaxaca and the State of Mexico, where more than 800 routes were digitized using the General Transportation Feeds Specification (GTFS), showed that information can change how citizens access transportation. However, most of the country still operates without traceability, without clear frequencies, and without unified platforms, which limits any attempt at modernization, according to Wisluch.

In freight transport , another major debate revolves around the double semi-trailer. Although figures support the claim that it is the vehicle “that pollutes the least per ton-kilometer transported” and one of the safest, legislative discussion persists. For the industry, the real problem is not the vehicle itself, but the lack of modernization and training: a modern double semi-trailer requires more technology, more safety measures, and better-trained operators, according to Gómez.

“The double semi-trailer is the vehicle that pollutes the least,” said Gómez.

In the end, the panelists agreed that Mexico’s transportation problems are systemic. They cannot be solved with a single decree, a single technology, or a single operational change. They require coordination between industry, government, and international cooperation . They require financing, effective legislation, and clean energy.

The challenges are an aging fleet , a shortage of operators, insufficient infrastructure, limited financing, lagging regulation, and an energy transition that is moving faster than the institutional capacity to keep up.

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