4 ajot.com SPONSORED CONTENT Trade advances through relationships How the Port Laredo Global Trade Summit is strengthening North America’s most important trade corridor. In May 2026, the Port of Laredo reached another historic milestone. The nation’s busiest land port recorded $36.33 billion in trade, the highest monthly total in its history. Through the first five months of the year, exports increased 4.37 percent to $55.84 billion, while imports climbed 15.83 percent to $106.91 bil- lion. The Port ranked first in the United States for exports of motor vehicle parts and diesel engines, while com- puter imports surged 128 percent year over year, reflecting the rapid expansion of artificial intelli- gence and advanced manufac- turing across North America. Those figures tell a much larger story. North American supply chains are being redesigned in real time. Manu- facturers are investing closer to customers through nearshoring. Artificial intelligence is transforming logistics and production. Governments are mod- ernizing border infrastructure while policymakers and industry leaders navigate the ongoing review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Trade is no longer simply about moving goods. It has become a strategic conversation about resilience, competitiveness, technology, workforce development, and international cooperation. The question became increasingly clear: Where would those conversations take place? That question became the driving force behind the inaugural Port Laredo Global Trade Summit. The Summit was envisioned as something broader than a traditional logistics conference. It was created as a platform where the people shaping North American commerce could gather at the con- tinent’s most important inland trade gateway. Rather than discussing cross-border commerce from afar, participants would meet where billions of dollars in trade cross every day and where public policy inter- sects with private enterprise. Laredo’s position within the North American econ- omy makes it uniquely suited for that role. In 2025, the Port facilitated $353.94 billion in international trade, marking its fifth consecutive record year while grow- ing nearly 73 percent over the past decade, signifi- cantly outpacing overall U.S. trade growth. Nearly 40 percent of all U.S.-Mexico trade now moves through Port Laredo, and more than 97 percent of the Port’s international commerce is conducted with Mexico. Few places experience the intersection of manu- facturing, customs, transportation, infrastructure, tech- nology, and international policy as directly as Laredo. Yet despite Laredo’s longstanding tradition of bringing the trade community together, the city’s growing role in North American commerce created an opportunity for a new international platform, one designed to convene public- and private-sector lead- ers around the forces reshaping continental supply chains. That represented an opportunity. Over two days this July, that vision became reality. The inaugural Port Laredo Global Trade Summit welcomed more than 610 participants rep- resenting 241 companies and organizations, along- side 31 industry speakers, 28 exhibitors, and 20 sponsoring organizations. Executives, policymak- ers, customs officials, manufacturers, economists, infrastructure leaders, journalists, educators, and technology innovators came together to discuss the future of North American commerce. “Our vision was never to create another confer- ence,” said Felipe Romero III, director of marketing and communications for Port Laredo. “Our vision was to create the place where North America’s trade leaders come together to solve problems, exchange ideas, and shape the future of continental commerce.” The timing could not have been more significant. Never before have so many transfor- mational forces converged simultaneously. Nearshoring is reshaping man- ufacturing investment. Artificial intelligence is redefining supply chains. Infrastructure invest- ment is accelerating throughout the United States and Mexico. Businesses are preparing for the next phase of USMCA, while geopolitical uncertainty continues to reshape global commerce. Those realities were reflected throughout the Summit’s programming. Conversations explored customs modernization, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, multimodal infrastructure, manufacturing competitiveness, workforce development, energy, and cross-border investment. Cabinet-level policymakers, federal agencies, Fortune 500 executives, economists, jour- nalists, and infrastructure operators shared perspec- tives on the opportunities and challenges that will define the next decade of North American trade. Yet the Summit’s greatest value extended beyond the stage. The most meaningful conversations often hap- pened between sessions, where relationships were formed, partnerships were explored, and future col- laborations began. “What happened over those two days con- firmed something we believed from the begin- ning,” Romero said. “The industry wasn’t looking for another event. It was looking for meaning- ful conversations grounded in the realities of cross-border trade.” That may ultimately be the Summit’s greatest contribution. Trade does not advance through policy alone. It does not advance through infrastructure alone. It advances through relationships. Every customs innovation, manufacturing investment, logistics partnership, and infrastructure project begins with people willing to collaborate across industries, sectors, and borders. For decades, the Port of Laredo has served as the physical gateway connecting the economies of the United States and Mexico. Increasingly, it is becoming the place where North America’s trade community comes together to shape its future. The overwhelming response to the inaugural Summit demonstrated that the industry is ready for that role. The attendance, sold-out sessions, and extraordinary engagement were remarkable for a first-year event. More importantly, they reflected a shared recognition that no single organization, gov- ernment, or company can solve the increasingly com- plex challenges facing global supply chains alone. That collaborative spirit will become even more important as USMCA negotiations continue and North American manufacturers confront changing trade rules, geopolitical uncertainty and new eco- nomic pressures. The inaugural Port Laredo Global Trade Summit was never intended to be a one-time event. It marked the beginning of a long-term commitment to conven- ing the conversations that will shape the future of continental commerce. “Trade doesn’t stop when the conference ends,” Romero said. “Neither should the collaboration. If we’re serious about strengthening North American competitiveness, these conversations must continue long after the closing session.” Commerce never stops moving. Neither should the ideas that shape it. As North America’s busiest land port, Laredo has both the responsibility and the opportunity to convene those conversations. If the inaugural Port Laredo Global Trade Summit demonstrated any- thing, it is that the future of North American trade doesn’t just move through Laredo. Increasingly, it meets here. Aerial view of the Port of Laredo, TX.
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