GSCW chat: Laredo welcomes automotive freight diverted from congested California ports

‘Mexico has been very aggressive in its economic development recruitment efforts’ in East Asia

Kevin Hill and Teclo Garcia discuss supply chain bottlenecks during FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

This fireside chat recap is from Day 4 of FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

 

FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: A look at how supply chain bottlenecks are affecting the largest inland U.S. port. 

DETAILS: FreightWaves’ Kevin Hill and Teclo Garcia, economic development director for the city of Laredo, discuss supply chain bottlenecks during FreightWaves’ Global Supply Chain Week.

INTERVIEWER AND SPEAKER: Kevin Hill, executive publisher at FreightWaves, and Teclo Garcia, economic development director for the city of Laredo.

BIO: Garcia has served as the economic development director for the city of Laredo for nearly three years. He previously worked as the director of external affairs and communications for Mission Economic Development Corp. in Mission, Texas. 

KEY QUOTES FROM GARCIA:

“Our No. 1 priority right now for economic development in Laredo is expanding the World Trade Bridge and that’s the most trafficked bridge in the country in terms of international trade.”

“There’s a shortage of chips in Mexico and there’s a shortage of other key parts. However, Mexico continues to run their [manufacturing] lines and produce vehicles — maybe not to where they were before, but they still are moving in a very robust way.”

“Mexico has been very aggressive in its economic development recruitment efforts in East Asia. Economic development teams have been to China, Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, you name it, in recruiting Mexico as an alternative to the ports in California.”

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Clarissa Hawes

Clarissa has covered all aspects of the trucking industry for 18 years. She is an award-winning journalist known for her investigative and business reporting. Before joining FreightWaves, she wrote for Land Line Magazine and Trucks.com. If you have a news tip or story idea, send her an email to chawes@firecrown.com or @cage_writer on X, formerly Twitter.