Background on Comce Noreste and its Relevance
Comce Noreste, a prominent organization representing the logistics and transportation sector in Northeastern Mexico, has raised concerns over escalating security issues affecting cargo transport. The organization’s director general, Andrés Franco, emphasizes the urgency of addressing these concerns within both Plan México and the review of the T-MEC agreement.
Growing Concerns Over Cargo Transport Security
According to data from industry associations and cameramen, the incidence of cargo theft has surged. In 2024, there was a 9% increase in autotransport theft, totaling nearly 16,000 incidents. Meanwhile, railway thefts rose by 34% compared to the previous year.
Statistics on Cargo Theft
- Autotransport: The Mexican Association of Private Security and Satellite Industry (AMESIS) reported 15,937 cargo thefts in 2024, marking a 9.2% increase from the previous year.
- Railway: The Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) noted 4,133 railway thefts in 2024, a 34.5% rise from 2023.
Impact of Cargo Theft
In April 2024, the Industry Transformation Chamber of Nuevo León (Caintra) released its Annual Survey on Merchandise Theft in Autotransport. Although the value of losses due to theft decreased by 17% (from 5,800 million pesos in 2022 to 4,772 million pesos in 2023), railway theft losses increased by 58% (from 700 million pesos to nearly 1,200 million pesos).
Moreover, companies bear additional security costs. Máximo Vedoya, former Caintra president, stated that autotransport protection expenses nearly doubled, from 4,399 million pesos to 8,148 million pesos.
Recent Developments
- May 2025: New Caintra president Jorge Santos Reyna reported that cargo theft losses for Nuevo León companies fell 29% in 2024 (from 5,800 million pesos to 2,637 million pesos). Railway theft also decreased by 54%, from 1,123 million pesos in 2023 to 521 million pesos in 2024.
- Jorge Santos Reyna’s Perspective: He attributes the reduction in reported amounts to positive factors, including coordination between authorities at all levels of government and collaboration with the business sector.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite these improvements, Jorge Santos Reyna warns that significant work remains. The impact of thefts continues, and in some cases, has even worsened.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Comce Noreste? Comce Noreste is a prominent organization representing the logistics and transportation sector in Northeastern Mexico.
- Why is cargo transport security important? Cargo theft results in financial losses for companies and increased costs for implementing security measures. It also disrupts supply chains, affecting the broader North American region.
- What actions are being taken to address these concerns? Comce Noreste urges the inclusion of cargo transport security in Plan Mexico and T-MEC review. They advocate for collaboration between the private sector, government, regulatory bodies, and academia to address these issues.
