Inbound Logistics | April 2026

CROSS-BORDER LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS: KEEPING FREIGHT IN MOTION

T he implementation of the kick-started the nearshoring trend, driving a rise in cross- border trafc across all three nations. As the agreement comes up for review in July 2026, cross-border activity remains strong across multiple industry sectors. Under the USMCA, Mexico has become the United States’ largest trading partner—in 2025, U.S. goods traded with United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2020 Mexico totaled roughly $878 billion, surpassing both China and Canada. Mexico has become a favored destination for companies seeking diversied, resilient supply chains, offering competitive advantages such as low labor costs and short transportation lead times within North America. THE NUANCES OF NEARSHORING Nearshoring has emerged as a popular strategic move in recent years, allowing companies to establish manufacturing ecosystems closer to the U.S. to reduce exposure to geopolitical disruptions. More recently, in response to tariffs, companies scrambled to shift manufacturing and supply chains from Asia to new sources. As a result, both shippers and logistics providers have had to adjust their operations to the evolving environment. “It was long overdue for companies to rethink their supply chains, and now I think we’re more resilient and efcient in how we move cargo,” says Dave Cox, CEO of Polaris Transportation Group, a cross-border LTL carrier. While the tariff landscape remains uncertain, nearshoring appears to be a lasting trend. Companies relocating production from the Asia-Pacic region to adjacent nations can shorten lead times and lower transportation costs. With inventory closer to distribution centers and customers, shippers gain greater production exibility and can reduce carrying costs by turning inventory faster. Eliminating thousands of ocean or air miles also lowers the risk of port delays,

differences. Experienced cross-border logistics providers are invaluable in these areas, offering processes that streamline documentation and customs clearance. TAMING CUSTOMS COMPLEXITIES Providers with strong connections to customs agencies in each country can shorten border wait times and efciently handle documentation for hundreds of products. For example, Hub Group connects with customs brokers on the other side of the border to automatically share shipment information, including the Complemento Carta Porte document required for moving goods within Mexico. “We deploy it automatically, and everything happens much faster with our process in place,” says Diego Anchustegui, chief commercial director for EASO, a Hub Group company. When tariffs were imposed on Canadian imports in early 2025, many shippers were surprised to learn their products were subject to additional fees, while other goods qualied for free-trade certication under USMCA, allowing U.S. importers to avoid duties and taxes. The confusion was tough on shippers. “There were a lot of Canadian shippers whose goods qualied for free trade under USMCA rules but were never certied,” Cox says.

container congestion, and lost cargo due to geopolitical disruptions. “Importers have seen a lot of disruption in their supply chains because of tariff impacts, and we had to adapt as customers diversied their import strategies,” says Megan Skas, executive vice president of account management for Hub Group, a North American 3PL. “Often that meant moving away from China, but every retailer seems to have a different approach.” Even as companies move production to North America to avoid tariffs on Chinese goods, many still need to source raw materials from China, where tariffs and transportation costs can offset some nearshoring benets. Shippers, then, are seeking providers capable of managing shipments on both sides of the border to reduce the costs and risks of transloading. “Use logistics partners that can coordinate the entire journey of your shipment—from origin pickup and ocean freight to customs clearance, drayage, and delivery,” advises Chris Skraba, head of business development, West Region, for Lineage, a global cold storage logistics provider. To maximize the benets of cross- border operations, shippers must navigate complex customs regulations along with cultural, operational, and regulatory

Hub Group oers cross-border shippers a single, integrated provider for North American freight flows through its joint venture with EASO, Mexico’s largest intermodal carrier.

38 Inbound Logistics • April 2026