PORT LAREDO
North America's busiest land port. $339 billion in trade. 20,000 daily truck crossings. The story of a border city that became a continental trade gateway.
Annual trade (2024)
Daily truck crossings
U.S. land port by value
Sq ft logistics space
Why Laredo
Laredo sits at the convergence of I-35 (the NAFTA Highway) and two major Mexican highways, just 150 miles from Monterrey — Mexico's industrial capital and the manufacturing engine of North America's nearshoring wave.
From Laredo, 80% of the U.S. population is reachable within 2-day ground delivery. The city is the gateway for the $2 trillion+ USMCA trade corridor and the natural strategic corridor where goods flowing north from Mexico meet the U.S. freight network.
For its second consecutive year, Laredo claimed the title of America's #1 trade port in 2024 — the first land crossing to ever hold that position, surpassing Los Angeles, Chicago, and JFK Airport.
“The nearshoring phenomenon isn't happening despite the border — it's happening because of it.”
The Four Bridges
Laredo's four international bridges provide critical capacity for cross-border commerce. Combined, they operate at roughly 40% total capacity — leaving significant room for growth.
World Trade Bridge
Commercial trucks
Opened in 2000, celebrating 25th anniversary in 2025. The primary artery for U.S.-Mexico commercial truck traffic.
Colombia-Solidarity Bridge
HAZMAT, overflow
Authorized for hazardous materials transport. Significant room for commercial growth as nearshoring demand rises.
Laredo-Nuevo Laredo (Bridge I)
Mixed traffic (Gateway to Americas)
The original Gateway to the Americas crossing — handling mixed commercial and passenger vehicle traffic since 1956.
Laredo-Nuevo Laredo (Bridge II)
Pedestrian / vehicle
Primarily serves pedestrian and non-commercial vehicle crossings between the two Laredos.
World Trade Bridge opened in 2000, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025. Colombia bridge is authorized for hazardous materials.
Trade Flow
Top U.S. Ports by Trade Value (2024)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024
Mode of Transport (2024)
Source: BTS / Census Bureau, 2024
Port Laredo handled 40% of all U.S.-Mexico trade and processes 23% of all commercial truck crossings into the United States.
The Industrial Transformation
Laredo is experiencing an industrial construction boom that is fundamentally reshaping the city's physical and economic landscape. National-scale tenants — VanTrust, Phelan, and institutional logistics investors — are arriving with capital at scale.
Mostly aging, undersized facilities
Across 59 active industrial parks
247% increase from mid-2024
Developed in North Laredo + Colombia
Estimated investment in land alone
Structures and facilities investment
Total investment trajectory: approaching $1B+
Land, infrastructure, and built facilities combined represent the largest capital deployment in Laredo's history — transforming a transit point into a distribution hub.
“For decades, Laredo was the gateway goods passed through. The question now: what if the most efficient place to distribute isn't 250 miles north — but right here at the border?”
First-Touch Advantage
The “distribution-plus” thesis from the “Beyond the Gateway” op-ed, co-authored with Dr. Gastón Cedillo-Campos, challenges the dominant model of cross-border logistics.
of U.S. population within 2-day ground delivery from Laredo
repositioning leg eliminated — reducing time and cost
sq ft warehouse space to support distribution operations
Distribution Routes
Mexico is now America's largest trading partner, surpassing China for the first time in two decades. Laredo sits at the center of this shift.
Distribution Routes from Laredo
Hover over cities to see drive times.
Regional Connectivity
Workforce & Network Effects
A self-reinforcing ecosystem where growth begets growth — and Laredo's workforce stands at the center.
Trade, transportation, and warehousing employ one-third of Laredo's workforce — the highest concentration of any major U.S. metro.
Logistics workforce expanded 20% from 2007-2017 and continues growing — outpacing national averages in the sector.
The Reinforcing Cycle
Network effects create a virtuous cycle: each new investment strengthens the case for the next.
Step 1: Distribution Centers
Growing warehouse and fulfillment footprint
Operational Advantages
Beyond location, Laredo offers structural benefits that compound over time.
FTZ 94
Duty deferral on imports, exemptions on re-exports
Carrier Density
Ensures reliable capacity and service options
Backhaul Market
Creates competitive rates for all directions
Direct Control
Operational autonomy vs 3PL dependency
Connected Research
Port Laredo is part of a larger research ecosystem on North American trade, technology, and border innovation.
Navigating the New Era of U.S.-México Trade
Policy, Technology, and Border Innovation
Available on AmazonDaniel Covarrubias, Ph.D.
Director, Texas Center for Border
Economic & Enterprise Development
TAMIU A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business
Education
- Ph.D. — Deusto Business School (Spain)
- M.A. Political Science — TAMIU
- MBA — UTSA
- BBA — Monterrey Tec
Board Positions
- TRB Standing Committee on International Trade & Transportation (National Academies)
- CBP COAC Cross-Border Recognition Working Group
- US-Mexico Foundation C2B+ Smart Borders Working Group
Media
Wall Street Journal, Texas Standard, PBS
Explore the Port Laredo Story
Dive deeper into the research, get the book, or join the conversation on cross-border trade and border innovation.
Texas Center for Border Economic & Enterprise Development • Texas A&M International University