The freight transport sector in Mexico faces an uncertain outlook due to the trade policies promoted by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, which contemplate the application of tariffs on Mexican products.
Miguel Ángel Martínez, president of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar) , warned that the trucking industry is already being affected by inspections at border crossings that have become more rigorous, which has generated significant delays and higher operating costs for the industry.
“The trucking industry is not the only one affected; in general, the entire Mexican economy is on standby due to Trump’s decisions,” he said.
He added that, in the specific case of cargo transportation, border inspections have doubled and even tripled crossing times , which directly impacts supply chains and the logistics costs of companies.
Uncertainty is growing as we await Donald Trump’s decisions, but Martinez said that ” talking about a 25% tariff is crazy . We cannot accurately measure the impact this would have, but it would undoubtedly seriously affect the country’s economy.”
He also said that this measure would also affect the United States , because it would have an inflationary effect that would end up affecting consumers on both sides of the border.
It is worth remembering that the collection of 25% tariffs on various products from Mexico and Canada by our northern neighbor will come into effect on April 2 and not March 4 as planned, as Donald Trump announced yesterday , although he warned that he will not stop his tariff plan.
Martínez stressed that uncertainty has paralysed many investment decisions in the sector. A critical point is the renewal of the transport fleet, a problem that Canacar has pointed out for years.
“Cargo transportation in Mexico is already facing a major problem: the age of the fleet. We need to renew trucks to improve efficiency and reduce polluting emissions, but with this level of uncertainty, companies do not know whether to invest or wait,” he explained.
The delay in modernizing the vehicle fleet not only affects the competitiveness of the sector, but also increases maintenance and operating costs, which ultimately impacts the prices of goods and services for consumers.
“When the final percentage is set, we will all have to reinvent ourselves. The trucking industry will have to adapt quickly to the new conditions of international trade, which will undoubtedly represent a major challenge,” said Miguel Ángel Martínez.
The National Association of Bus, Truck and Tractor Truck Producers (ANPACT) announced in early February that the heavy vehicle market began 2025 with a 32.5% drop in wholesale sales compared to January 2024.
This behavior also responds to the high levels of inventory that some brands and distributors accumulated at the end of 2024, anticipating the change in environmental regulations NOM-044 .
The leader of Mexico’s transporters was present at the inauguration of the first ultra-fast charging electric charging station for heavy trucks in the country, a project promoted by Delectrico, in alliance with Huawei Digital Power .
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