Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexico top US trade partner in November, Laredo No. 1 gateway; PSC Group acquires rail terminal in South Texas; automotive firm inaugurates $55 million expansion in Mexico; and CBP seizes $5M worth of cocaine at Texas border crossing.
Mexico top US trade partner in November, Laredo No. 1 gateway
Nearshoring continues to be a boost for Mexico trade as the country retained its ranking as the United States’ top trade partner in November, with two-way commerce totaling $65.8 billion.
It’s the 10th time in the past 11 months that Mexico ranked No. 1, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In November, Canada ranked No. 2 at $65.2 billion, while China was third at $49.4 billion. Rounding out the top five U.S. trade partners in November were Japan at No. 4 with $19.6 billion and Germany with $19 billion.
From January through November, Mexico’s trade with the U.S. rose 2.79% year over year (y/y) to $738.4 billion.
Port Laredo, Texas, was the No. 1-ranked U.S. trade gateway with Mexico, totaling $26.7 billion in November, according to a WorldCity analysis of Census Bureau data. It was the 10th straight month the Laredo border crossing was the country’s top-ranked international commercial trade port.
The Port of Los Angeles ranked No. 2 with $25 billion and Chicago O’Hare International Airport was No. 3, reporting $24 billion in trade during November. John F. Kennedy International Airport was the fourth-ranked trade gateway in November at $18 billion, and Port Houston was No. 5 at $17.7 billion.
The top three imports from Mexico to the U.S. through Laredo were auto parts ($2 billion), passenger vehicles ($1.3 billion) and commercial vehicles ($988 million), according to WorldCity.
The top exports from the U.S. to Mexico through Laredo were auto parts ($1.1 billion), gasoline ($313 million) and passenger vehicles ($232 million).
During November, Port Laredo processed 247,343 commercial trucks across its two international bridges, a 7.5% y/y increase compared to the same period in 2022.
PSC Group acquires rail terminal in South Texas
PSC Group has acquired the Bayport Rail Terminal (BRT), a 115-acre rail, truck and container facility in Pasadena, Texas.
BRT offers loaded and empty rail car staging and switching, transloading, as well as on-site railcar repairs and maintenance operations. The facility has storage capacity for 850 rail cars and is serviced by Union Pacific’s Bayport Loop rail line.
BRT is located near the Houston Ship Channel and Port Houston container terminals. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
“BRT is a one-of-a-kind logistics asset strategically situated close to Port Houston and in the heart of the Houston chemical industry,” PSC CEO Joel Dickerson said in a news release. “Access to these markets will enable PSC to expand our offering of critical last-mile logistics services to the more than 80 rail-served manufacturing and logistic facilities housed along the Bayport Loop and the port.”
PSC Group was founded in 1952 and is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company has over 4,500 employees at more than 125 refineries, terminals, docks, and chemical plants across the U.S. and Canada.
Automotive firm inaugurates $55 million expansion in Mexico
Automotive parts manufacturer Eurotranciatura Laminations recently completed a $55 million expansion in Queretaro, Mexico.
The 107,639-square-foot facility will create up to 500 jobs and produce lamination components for electric vehicle motors, according to a news release.
“We’re proud to inaugurate a new Mexican plant in Queretaro and strengthen our production capacity for the North American EV market, to fulfill already received orders for more than $3.8 billion,” Marco Arduini, CEO of EuroGroup Laminations, said in a statement.
Eurotranciatura is a joint venture between Italy-based EuroGroup and Japan-based Kuroda Precision Industries Ltd. Eurotranciatura has been operating in Mexico since 2016.
CBP seizes $5M worth of cocaine at Texas border crossing
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recently intercepted 173 pounds of cocaine from a tractor-trailer at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas.
On Jan. 3, CBP officers searched a commercial box truck that arrived from Mexico carrying plastic rolls and discovered 64 bundles of alleged cocaine concealed in the freight. The alleged drugs have a street value of $5.5 million.
CBP officers seized the alleged drugs and the truck but did not disclose whether the driver was detained or released.
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