US and Mexico Cross Border Trades, Covid-19, and USMCA: Challenges and Opportunities
b'From Jan to July this year, Mexico is the top trading partner of the United States, with two-way trade totaling $290.6 billion. With such increase of activities, here come bottle neck and in-balance challenges. \\xa0For examples, at the cross-border point in El Paso TX, the load to truck ratio is as high as 8:1 while the ratio at Laredo TX \\xa0skyrocketed to 15:1 (number of loads per truck). Since USMCA (United States Mexico Canada Agreement) is new (since July 2020), many people are trying to figure out their supply chain impact and future planning, and currently there is significantly less freight going into Mexico, meaning lack of drivers situation from Mexico to USA. \\xa0Some drivers (who live in Mexico or US) are trying cross the border to drive for their next truckloads are often stuck in the borders waiting for hours \\xa0(due to Covid-19 related additional inspections) and eventually give up and return home, amplifying driver shortage issue. Of course, recent weather uncertainty (hurricanes and storms) and surge of eCommerce and consumer behavior changes due to Covid-19 are adding additional complexity. \\xa0Will it be a new norm for US/MX cross-border? \\xa0How can multi-stakeholders including governments work together to improve the situation? We had a fascinating interview with Gubio Henrique - SVP at Redwood Logistics, Larry Hotz - Marketing Director at Woodfield Distribution, and Professor Tom Fullerton at University of Texas at El Paso.'