International

Expectations for peak season have waned, but container lines may have bounced off the bottom.

Spreads between high- and low-sulfur fuels are down to pandemic levels and LNG has become much more economical.

U.S. rail imports from Vancouver and Prince Rupert are imperiled again. ILWU Canada has rejected the proposed dockworkers contract.

This week in Borderlands: $18B LNG export terminal project moves forward at Texas seaport; DHL investing $560M to expand supply chains in Mexico, South America; German manufacturer announces 1st facility in Mexico; and CBP seizes nearly $4 million in meth from a California border crossing.

Tanker shipping sanctions compliance is getting a lot more complicated as the price of Russian crude oil rises.

The extended strike in western Canada was beginning to affect U.S. supply chains. Its resolution limits the fallout.

Although international intermodal traffic has come to a halt at the Canadian West Coast ports since the start of the work stoppage on July 1, carload volumes for commodities such as coal and grain have grown, according to supply chain data visibility firm RailState.

Canada and Mexico are seeing tremendous growth as a result of nearshoring efforts. This has generated significant interest in cross-border capabilities.

The agreement should keep tanker and bulker orders in check, while increasing the risk of a future carbon tax on container shippers.

This week in Borderlands: New Mexico lands first major auto parts manufacturing plant; FedEx closing facility in Texas; Nippon Express opens logistics warehouse in Arizona; and San Diego customs agent charged with taking bribes.

U.S. imports via Canadian ports face rising fallout as the war of words escalates between dockworkers and employers.

As the labor strike continues at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, Class I railroads are taking steps to ensure that their networks face minimal disruptions.

Mexico is kicking out freighter aircraft from the country’s busy international airport to address overcrowding. The move to another airport is creating headaches for airlines.

More than 7,400 dockworkers in Canada remain on strike Wednesday after labor contract negotiations with their employer have stalled.

More than 7,400 dockworkers have gone on strike in Canada, potentially causing disruptions at ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

This week in Borderlands: Vertical farms in Texas are designed to disrupt fresh produce supply chains; Mexico imposes a 50% tariff on white corn exports from the U.S.; Quality Custom Distribution is opening a new facility in Texas; and CBP officers seized nearly 900,000 fentanyl pills in California.

Some families of victims of deadly railway accidents say railway police are torn between seeking the truth and protecting the company name. Railroads say safeguards are in place.

Declining demand for Chinese exports and reduced stimulus options threaten bulk commodity import prospects.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City, CSX and Genesee & Wyoming railroads aim to establish a direct interchange connection near Myrtlewood, Alabama.

Mexico-based transporter Traxion has acquired Las Vegas-based BBA Logistics for $10 million.

The Wagner mutiny is drawing attention to what happens after the war in Ukraine ends. When it does, shipping will see major changes.

This week in Borderlands: Florida tomato growers want the U.S. to terminate a Mexico trade deal; a Texas border bridge is shut down temporarily by migrant crossings; Union Pacific will provide rail access to an Arizona industrial park; and Tesla issues a second recall for the electric Semi truck.

This week in Borderlands: Exports of Mexican-built cargo trucks up 34% in May; a California commercial border crossing project receives $140 million; Mexico opens a $175 million highway project to boost trade with Texas; and a U.S. logistics firm is building a $2.7 million border export hub in Mexico.

This week in Borderlands: Texas trucking company acquired by Online Transport Inc.; U.S. requests USMCA dispute resolution over Mexico corn ban; RK Logistics expands into Arizona market; and Watco opens railcar storage facility in Texas.

Canadian railway CN is monitoring wildfires across several provinces and is adjusting operations as needed.

This week in Borderlands: Texas seaport completes a $146 million container terminal expansion; a chemical logistics provider expands its Arizona operations; Bollore Logistics opens a supply chain facility in Mexico; and border agents seize $38 million worth of meth hidden in a kale shipment.

U.S. and EU antitrust authorities are worried about reduced cargo competition from a merger between South Korea’s top airlines.

FedEx Express is quadrupling throughput at one of its airport gateways in Australia.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City is adding 1,000 refrigerated intermodal containers to its Mexico railroad business.

This week in Borderlands: Port Laredo remains the nation’s No. 1 gateway for international trade; rail cargo thefts were up 29% during Q1 in Mexico; a Taiwan automotive supplier is investing $1 billion for Mexico expansion; and Forza Steel is building a plant at the Port of Brownsville.

Not all cargo markets are back to pre-COVID “normal.” Container shipping rates to South America remain elevated.

Large liquefied petroleum gas tankers are riding high on rising U.S. exports and higher Chinese import demand.

This week in Borderlands: An Uber Freight report says cross-border trucking is showing continued resilience; a 3PL secures $100 million to expand its network of cross-border warehouses; a pepper puree manufacturer opens a production hub in New Mexico; and 26 people were killed in a crash involving a tractor-trailer in Mexico.

Europe faced a potentially disastrous energy shortage after war broke out. LNG shipping played a vital role in limiting the fallout.

This week in Borderlands: Experts see strong cross-border flatbed demand this year; Tesla breaks ground on Texas lithium refinery; DHL invests $120 million to expand operations in Mexico; and Mediterranean Shipping Co. opens Arizona office.

Nippon Express has signed a deal with Austria’s Cargo-Partner that expands its geographic reach and logistics service capabilities.

This week in Borderlands: AI’s rising impact on cross-border trade focus of new report; Mexican authorities recorded 142 tractor-trailer thefts in April; Texas logistics firm opens Phoenix location; and South Texas college launching CDL program.

The war has stoked fears of global shortfalls of wheat, corn and fertilizers, but the flexibility of shipping trades has limited the risk.

Wait times of eight hours are being blamed on state-run inspections of commercial trucks arriving from Mexico in South Texas.

This week Borderlands: Nearshoring draws more U.S. logistics investment to Mexico; Volkswagen issues temporary work stoppage at plant in Mexico; commercial auto supplier TitanX expands Mexican factory; and a truck driver in Texas dies in a collision with a freight train.

The partnerships with the two truck carriers for intermodal service will create new business opportunities for all three companies, CPKC officials said during the company’s first-quarter 2023 earnings call.

Not to be outdone by CPKC, CN said it is partnering with Union Pacific and Grupo México to provide a new, cross-continent intermodal service that will seek more truck-to-rail conversions.

This week in Borderlands: $102M cold storage warehouse planned for Houston area; auto parts supplier opens $34M plant in Mexico; steel manufacturer, distributor expands Texas operations; and CBP seizes $21M worth of fentanyl in green beans shipment.

This week in Borderlands: Production and exports of Mexican-built cargo trucks soared in March; Walmart is closing a logistics facility in Fort Worth, Texas; Target announced three distribution centers in Texas; and Maersk opened a global service center in Mexico City.

Commercial operations at a Texas border bridge have been suspended temporarily as U.S. border agents assist with migrant processing.

Two Canadian cities are taking an aggressive stance against illegal truck parking and storage in their communities.

This week in Borderlands: LG Energy Solution is building a $5.5 billion EV battery plant in Arizona; a France-based auto parts maker opens a $147 million plant in Mexico; Nuevo Leon opens a $100 million “peripheral” highway; and an Arizona port of entry opens cold storage rooms.

The port of entry in Laredo, Texas, regained the No. 1 spot among the nation’s 450 international gateways for the first time in three years.

Computer issues have led to long lines for Mexican cargo truckers at a Texas border port of entry.

Chinese automaker Jetour announces $3B electric vehicle assembly plant in Mexico.

This week in Borderlands: RXO invests $30 million and expands its logistics operations in South Texas; the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon is investing $22 million to expand a border bridge; Packwell is set to build a resin logistics center at Port Houston; and RK Logistics Group opens a Texas distribution center.

This week in Borderlands: Mexico recorded 237 cargo thefts the first two months of 2023; Port of Lazaro Cardenas will receive a $322 million investment; Penske Logistics is laying off 152 workers in Fort Worth; and a Texas contract manufacturer expands its logistics facility and trucking fleet.

Federal investigators in California recently ordered two separate logistics operators to pay more than $1 million in back wages to Mexico-based warehouse workers.

Tesla’s new electric vehicle plant in Mexico could increase cross-border trade with the U.S. by $15 billion annually, officials said.

This week in Borderlands: Truck driver salaries in Mexico averaged $4,400 in 2023; Phillips Industries opens a new plant in Mexico; Arcadia Cold Storage firm eyes Southwest distribution market; and Fr8Tech launches freight matching for LTL services in Mexico.

Lawmakers in Canada are working to keep trucking companies with poor safety records off the roadways.

Mexico’s heavy-duty truck manufacturers exported 12,702 vehicles to the U.S. in February.

This week in Borderlands: Mexico starts 2023 as top U.S. trade partner; construction for new Texas commercial port of entry begins; transporter closes Texas terminal and cuts 60 jobs; and Kansas logistics company leases Texas distribution center.

Shipping line NYK says operating Nippon Cargo Airlines is too expensive and plans to sell it to another Japanese carrier.

DHL Express recently began cargo flights out of a $55 million cargo facility at Felipe Angeles International Airport in Mexico City.

This week in Borderlands: Houston export terminal lets Temco capitalize on grain demand; $10M FAST lanes completed at World Trade Bridge; Spearpoint Logistics to open distribution hub in Texas; and Port Houston’s terminal container yards receive upgrade.

Kuehne + Nagel had a highly profitable year in 2022 despite macroeconomic headwinds, but results fell considerably in the fourth quarter along with transport demand.

Tesla has confirmed that its next electric vehicle factory will be near the Mexican city of Monterrey.

Canada has allocated $46 million in funding to recruit and train up to 2,600 new truck drivers and other transportation related jobs.

Agility is losing lucrative contracts to manage logistics parks in Kuwait after the government decided not to renew its agreement with the company.

This week in Borderlands: Nearshoring creates booming demand for border logistics facilities; Ascend reserves capacity in Volvo’s autonomous lane in Texas; ZF Group announces $250M expansion in Mexico; and Port of Brownsville posts record cargo volumes in 2022.

Experts predict more nearshoring of manufacturing to Mexico in 2023, especially for supplies of components used in green technologies.

This week in Borderlands: Exports of Mexican-built Class 8 trucks hit 15,221 in January; railroad cargo thefts drop 21% year over year across Mexico; fuel and lubricants distributor expands into South Texas; and rare insect intercepted in shipment at Otay Mesa port of entry.

More than 43,500 people in Turkey and Syria have died as a result of the Feb. 6 earthquake, which the United Nations is calling a “once-in-a-generation disaster.”

HMM acknowledged that “freight rates in most key trade lanes have been under downward pressure since H1 2022.”

This week in Borderlands: The Port of Corpus Christi finishes 2022 with a new tonnage record; Emergent Cold Latin America acquires Mexico-based Qualianz; J&J Snack Foods is opening a major logistics hub in Dallas; and CBP seizes more than $5 million worth of meth hidden in a shipment of radishes.

This week in Borderlands: Xcell Logistics sees big opportunities with cross-border trade; BMW to invest around $800M in Mexico in EV push; sensor-maker announces new factory in Mexico, creating 700 jobs; and Careismatic Brands moves into major distribution hub in Dallas.

Rail shippers see Transport Canada’s amendments to collect more freight rail data as a good start, but they maintain that more can be done.

The railway said it moved 2.29 million metric tons of Canadian grain and grain products in January, setting a monthly record.

If Mexico wants to attract more foreign manufacturers, experts say the country must take big steps to stay ahead of the global competition.

This week in Borderlands: Port Laredo ranks No. 1 for U.S.-Mexico agricultural trade; RJW Logistics to open shipping hub near Dallas; major logistics facility set for Nuevo Laredo; and Japanese air conditioning manufacturer investing $300M in Mexico.

Authorities in Mexico reported more than 8,000 incidents of stolen cargo trucks and trailers in 2022.

“Terminal and infrastructure investments are a crucial element of our strategic agenda and India is one of our key growth markets,” Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said.

This week in Borderlands: Houston’s MacroFab raises $42M to capitalize on nearshoring shift; Tesla expected to begin production of Cybertruck in Texas in 2023; Nike to open a major logistics center in Dallas; and Dana Inc. to open a new factory in Mexico.

Annual volumes at the Nova Scotia port exceeded 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units for the first time in its history.

BoxC’s data-sharing initiative with the FDA showcases the growing need for government regulators to work with supply chains to fix operational inefficiencies.

Mexico exported 157,522 heavy-duty trucks to the U.S. in 2022, an 18% year-over-year increase.

This week in Borderlands: Port Laredo was the No. 2 gateway for international trade in November; Tesla acquired a massive logistics center near Houston; the Port of Brownsville set a record for steel cargo tonnage; and First Call Logistics launched a Texas logistics hub.

Influential logistics provider Flexport says it will reduce its staff by 20% in the face of a looming global recession.

Mexican authorities reported a total of 1,181 cargo theft incidents across the country in November.

This week in Borderlands: Canada remains top US trading partner ahead of Mexico; Texas group acquires heavy-haul carrier United Vision Logistics; GM plans to expand electric vehicle production in Mexico; and Chinese manufacturer announces first plant in Mexico.

Locus is expanding its workforce and solution offerings for Mexico’s booming e-commerce market.

This week in Borderlands: Xometry CEO predicts expanded manufacturing in US; Costa Rica pushes to join USMCA trade pact; Texas port in negotiations for large-scale green ammonia plant; and $900K in meth seized at Laredo port of entry.

Freight forwarder MTM Logix recently received a private equity investment aimed at capitalizing on companies nearshoring to the Americas.

Trade between the U.S. and Mexico will continue to expand in 2023 as more factories and logistics operations move south of the border.

This week in Borderlands: Mexico won’t prohibit double tractor-trailers; Mexican government delays ban on genetically modified corn; Arizona border port of entry project receives $8M; and B.I.G. Logistics acquires Mexican customs broker and 3PL.

This week in Borderlands: Production, exports of Mexican-made trucks soar in November; Penske Logistics to open major facility in Houston; ShipMonk opens e-commerce fulfillment center in North Texas; and $100M worth of meth seized at border checkpoint.

The German national railway is looking to sell off its DB Schenker logistics business if it can get a good price.

Electric vehicle maker Tesla will reportedly soon announce its first automotive assembly plant in Mexico.

Texas has set up state-run checkpoints to stop and inspect random commercial vehicles coming from Mexico.

This week in Borderlands: USMCA panel rules in favor of Mexico, Canada over US; Lineage Logistics unveils plans for Texas cold storage facility; Mexico extends deadline again for Carta Porte tax document; and Volkswagen halts production of Jetta and Taos models.

This week in Borderlands: Mexico proposes to modify its truck driver hours-of-service rule; two logistics providers expand operations into New Mexico; an auto parts supplier expands in Mexico, creating 600 jobs; and $8.3 million worth of meth was seized from a truck at the Laredo port of entry.

The blockchain-enabled global platform TradeLens will go offline by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Mexico mulls using the National Guard to combat cargo theft; a Texas […]

A weaker-than-normal shipping season is hurting Cathay Pacific Cargo’s ability to recover from the pandemic.