Hardly a day goes by in the business press without a mention of the exploding trade between Mexico and the US. The potential is there for all to see in Mexico, either as an origin point for goods or as a way point for goods moving from Asia to the US. Mexico is now the US’s largest trading partner, supplanting China, and it feels as though the potential for growth of the trade can only be constrained by operational and political factors.
Many logistics professionals are having to account for Mexico as a new sourcing hub for their companies. That means establishing trusted carrier and intermediary partners as well as having an internal team that understands the market. But while it’s important to understand the transportation ramifications of cross-border trade growth – both in truckload and intermodal – there’s more to consider.
Doing business in Mexico is not like doing business in China or the US. It has its own distinct business environment, and freight transportation exists within that reality. While there are a handful of sessions at Inland24 dedicated to the rise of cross-border trade and its freight implications, perhaps the most important session is one in which S&P Global’s José Enrique Sevilla-Macip will map out the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Mexico at a broader level. Sevilla-Macip is a senior research analyst within S&P Global’s Economics and Country Risk unit covering Latin America and Caribbbean.