Background and Relevance of the Issue
In Puerto Colombia, Nuevo León, Mexico, a new charge was implemented on April 14th at the customs office for crossing into Laredo, Texas. This new tariff more than doubles the existing toll fees, causing concern among local customs agents in Nuevo Laredo and Laredo due to its negative impact on international trade.
Eduardo Villarreal, President of the Association of Customs Agents of Colombia, stated that the state’s Corporación para el Desarrollo de la Zona Fronteriza (Codefront) applied this new tariff, possibly as a recovery fee for the construction of the La Gloria-Colombia road.
For instance, a four to five-axle freight vehicle will now pay around 100 pesos more, in addition to the original 144.00 toll fee.
Key Players and Their Roles
Mario Palos Moreno, Vice President of The Association of Logistics & Forwarding Agents (ALFA) and Executive Board Member, along with Mario Palos Jr., met with Texas Congressmen Richard Raymond and Henry Cuellar in Austin, Texas.
According to a post on Cuellar’s Instagram account on April 17th, “I had a fraternal conversation today with Texas Republican Richard Raymond, Mario Palos, and Mario Palos Jr. from Garza Forwarding at the Texas Capitol. We discussed key commercial topics affecting our region, without specifying the Puerto Colombia issue.”
Collaborative Efforts and Demands
During a virtual meeting with the mentioned congressmen and ALFA representatives, Carlos Fernández, President of the Association of Transport Cargo of Nuevo Laredo, and Canacar delegate Héctor Hinojosa also participated.
In this meeting, they requested the congressmen’s intervention to engage in dialogue with the Nuevo León government and resolve the double-charging problem at Puerto Colombia.
Additionally, they urged the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reconsider their regulation allowing around 1,000 empty trucks to cross directly into the U.S. via the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo, a cheaper alternative.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the issue at hand? Customs agents in Nuevo Laredo and Laredo, Texas, are concerned about a new tariff implemented in Puerto Colombia, Nuevo León, which more than doubles existing toll fees and negatively impacts international trade.
- Who are the key players involved? The Association of Customs Agents of Colombia, The Association of Logistics & Forwarding Agents (ALFA), Texas Congressmen Richard Raymond and Henry Cuellar, the Association of Transport Cargo of Nuevo Laredo, and Canacar delegate Héctor Hinojosa are all involved in addressing this issue.
- What is their demand? These parties are requesting dialogue with the Nuevo León government to reverse the double charges and urging U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reconsider their regulation allowing empty trucks to cross directly into the U.S.
