US Trade Zones in Mexico Target USMCA Tariff Barriers

Borderlands Mexico: U.S. foreign-trade zones push to fix USMCA tariff obstacles

U.S. foreign-trade zones are drawing renewed attention as manufacturers and logistics providers reassess North American supply chains under changing tariff rules. At the same time, Mexico is preparing to add National Guard personnel to highway patrols following nationwide trucking protests, while manufacturer Ametek plans to expand operations in two Mexican border cities.

The developments are part of a broader period of uncertainty for cross-border transportation. Companies moving freight between the United States and Mexico are evaluating sourcing, production, warehousing and transportation decisions as tariffs and the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement remain unsettled.

Foreign-trade zones seek relief from USMCA duty disadvantage

The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones is supporting legislation intended to address what it describes as an uneven duty structure for U.S. manufacturers exporting to Mexico and Canada.

Under current rules, manufacturers operating in U.S. foreign-trade zones can be required to pay duties on imported components used to produce finished goods that are later shipped to Mexico or Canada. That can happen even when the finished products qualify for preferential treatment under USMCA.

Manufacturers in Mexico and Canada can use duty-relief programs that may eliminate comparable costs, according to Jeff Tafel, president of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones. The difference can make it more expensive for a company to manufacture in the United States and export the finished product to its North American customers.

“The result is an uneven playing field,” Tafel told FreightWaves. He said the issue can affect decisions about where companies place factories, warehouses and distribution operations.

NAFTZ is backing the Foreign-Trade Zone Export Enhancement Act of 2025, H.R. 6792, introduced by Rep. Lance Gooden, and the companion Foreign-Trade Zone Export Enhancement Act of 2026, S. 4793, introduced by Sen. Tim Scott. The measures would provide duty relief for qualifying merchandise manufactured or altered in U.S. foreign-trade zones and then exported to Mexico or Canada.

Foreign-trade zones are designated areas supervised by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Companies can use them to store, assemble, manufacture and distribute merchandise under special customs procedures. Duties on imported goods generally can be deferred until the goods enter U.S. commerce, while certain exports from the zones may qualify for duty exemptions.

However, Tafel said some recent tariff actions require imported merchandise to enter zones under “privileged foreign” status, limiting some traditional duty benefits. FTZs still provide duty deferral, customs and inventory-management advantages, but the rules can be complex. The zones are tightly controlled and require licensing, audits and background checks.

Texas is especially important to the FTZ system. The state ranked first nationally in both merchandise received and exports from foreign-trade-zone operations in 2024. Major trade gateways with FTZ activity include Houston, Laredo, El Paso, McAllen and Brownsville.

Nationwide, FTZ operations received $963.8 billion in merchandise in 2024, up from $948.8 billion in 2023. Exports fell to $133.5 billion from $148.8 billion. The program supported nearly 543,000 jobs across about 1,300 active operations.

For carriers, changes in FTZ use can affect freight volumes, border crossings, warehouse demand and transportation patterns. Tafel said companies are discussing whether to change suppliers, adjust inventories or move manufacturing and distribution operations. He cautioned that those discussions do not necessarily mean decisions have already been made.

Mexico plans additional highway security officers

Mexico’s National Guard plans to deploy 826 additional officers to strengthen highway surveillance following a nationwide trucking strike and protests over cargo theft, violence and extortion.

The deployment was announced during a Nov. 5 meeting between federal authorities and trucking industry representatives, according to Mexican transportation publication T21. Lauro Rincón Hernández, president of the Mexican-American Federation of Transporters, said the officers were completing training at the San Luis Potosí Police Academy. Authorities did not announce a specific deployment date.

The action follows an Oct. 26 nationwide trucking strike in which transportation groups called for stronger measures against cargo theft, highway insecurity and alleged abuses by authorities.

Trucking representatives identified the State of Mexico, Puebla, Nuevo León, Jalisco, Veracruz, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Tlaxcala and Tabasco as especially difficult areas for highway security. Industry groups also requested permanent National Guard patrols and revised security strategies in areas with elevated criminal activity.

Authorities discussed continuing Operation Enjambre, or Operation Swarm, in municipalities and states facing higher levels of criminal activity. Additional meetings with security officials and federal prosecutors are planned, with trucking organizations seeking measurable improvements before the end of the year.

Ametek expands in Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo

Ametek plans to invest $25 million to expand operations in Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, creating 650 jobs across the two cities.

The company expects to add 400 positions in Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas, and 250 jobs in Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, Texas, according to the Tamaulipas Ministry of Economy. Ametek currently employs about 2,600 workers at its Reynosa operations.

The company did not provide a construction timeline or say when the new jobs would be filled. Ametek produces precision components and technology solutions for industries including medical devices, aerospace and semiconductors.

The investment adds to manufacturing activity along a border where freight networks depend on regular truck movements between Mexican plants, U.S. warehouses and customers throughout North America. For drivers and carriers, the combination of new industrial capacity, security concerns and unresolved tariff rules will continue to shape cross-border routes and freight demand.