Mexico Logistics & Infrastructure
for Import and Export

Baja California is Mexico’s most western state located just south of California. The Tijuana/San Diego border region is one of the largest in the world for both tourism and commercial trade. With the enactment of NAFTA, Mexico has invested significantly in infrastructure improvements to maintain existing roads and transportation corridors, as well as investing in new infrastructure in order attract new commercial trade to the region. Years of experience between US logistics and Mexico logistics working closely together now register more than 16.9 customs interactions a year.

Tijuana and the Otay Mesa Commercial border crossings are located just minutes south of San Diego, California, giving commercial transportation access to all major North American trade corridors and NAFTA highways.

Baja California has a strong network of well-maintained highways with Highway 1 as the major artery connecting the entire state to the US via San Diego. Running east from Tijuana, Highway 2 provides direct connection to eastern commercial land ports of entry like those in Nogales and El Paso.

Mexico’s major highway and transportation networks were made for connecting industry to U.S. ports of entry. Mexico’s highways connect directly to major U.S. transportation arteries making crossborder logistics a breeze.

On Mexico’s west coast of Baja California, the deep-water seaport in Ensenada just 1.5 hours south of San Diego, California, connects the state to the major shipping port in in Long Beach. Mainland Mexico has 117 active ports and terminals connected to more than 145 countries, each located near high commercial and manufacturing activity and connected to the Mexico’s highway network. Mexico’s main container ports allow for bonded and in-bond shipments. The main shipping lines providing regular container service to and from Mexico are: MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, Hamburg Süd Line, CMA CGM, ZIM Container Service and Seaboard Marine.

Mexico has 65 international airports with Tijuana’s International Airport conveniently located just east of the city center taking only 10 minutes by car to reach most major industrial hubs. Executives also enjoy access to San Diego’s International located 20 minutes from the Tijuana and the US/Mexico border. The San Diego/Tijuana Crossborder Xpress (CBX) is an enclosed pedestrian skywalk bridge for Tijuana Airport passengers who need to cross the US/Mexico border as a part of their trip. U.S. executives are utilizing this new infrastructure investment to make to speed up business travel and avoid driving across when going to and from their Mexico maquiladoras.

Utility costs include electricity and natural gas costs and represent up to 8 percent of total location-sensitive costs. Mexico has very low utility costs when compared to other major growth markets. For example, the capital of Baja California, Mexicali, lies just east of Tijuana, supplies most of its inhabitant’s electricity from hydroelectric power provided by the Colorado River.

Currently, utility costs are 4% less than in China. Within the last 2 years Mexico also made the electrical infrastructure for new facility sites easier to obtain by streamlining procedures, offering training opportunities to private contractors, using a geographic information system (GIS) to map the electricity distribution network and increasing the stock of materials.

Mexico has a solid access to internet, telephones and communications networks and is constantly adding to its holdings especially in manufacturing clusters throughout the country. Between 2013 and 2018, the Mexican federal government will invest $100 billion dollars as outlined in the Transport and Communications Infrastructure Investment Program 2013-2018. The investment will focus on improvements and investments, of which 45% will be used to modernize and upgrade transport infrastructure and 55% will be used for telecommunications.

Mexico offers Class A to Class C industrial facilities in nearly every city. Manufacturing companies will find shell, semi-finished and built-to-suit options, as well as inexpensive land for new facility construction. Average leasing rates depend on the city, with places like the border cities of Baja California running $0.44 -$0.46 US Dollars per square foot. To learn more about leasing rates and the industrial real estate markets in in Mexico, please see the individual pages for the Border Cities, El Bajio Region and Mainland Mexico.

Boosted over the years first under NAFTA and now under the USMCA, U.S. and Mexican customs are structured for expedited processing and logistics back to the United States. With 85% of Mexico’s exports being U.S.-bound, the services infrastructure of customs houses and logistics and transportation companies are vested in quick turn around and speed to market.

There are 49 major Mexican customs offices throughout Mexico including: 21 on the borders, 17 maritime, and 11 interior customs offices. There are also 66 border crossings throughout Mexico: 57 on the northern border and 8 on the southern border. More than 10.7 million cargo trucks cross the northern border each year. CPI works directly with customs brokers and logistics firms to provide its clients quick and effortless transportation back to the United States and import and export compliance in Mexico and the U.S. under CPI’s Shelter IMMEX Program.