Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: Customs overhaul may reshape cross-border manufacturing, expert says; Transport Capacity Services opens Monterrey office to boost U.S.–Mexico freight; and WeShip Express relocates headquarters to Austin. Customs overhaul may reshape cross-border manufacturing, expert says Mexico’s sweeping 2026 customs reforms could tighten enforcement across the country’s manufacturing sector, while increasing compliance burdens for importers and customs brokers, according to Jonathan Todd, vice-chair of the transportation and logistics practice group at law firm Benesch. In an interview with FreightWaves, Todd said the upcoming changes — expected to take effect Jan. 1 — represent one of the most significant shifts in Mexico’s trade governance in years. “There’s a fair amount of duty evasion and smuggling of Chinese goods and other inputs into Mexico,” Todd said, describing a concern shared by U.S. manufacturers. “Stronger enforcement will help U.S. producers compete on a more level playing field.” window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot(‘/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1’, [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], ‘div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0’).defineSizeMapping(gptSizeMaps.banner1).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0’); }); The customs reforms impose new obligations — and steep liabilities — on Mexico’s licensed customs brokers (agentes aduanales), who already operate within one of the strictest licensing systems in the world. Unlike in the U.S., where importers can self-file entries with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, nearly all commercial imports entering Mexico must be processed by a broker. Under the revised law, customs…
