LAREDO, Texas — The thousands of trucks that cross the border into Laredo each day are an economic pillar for the city and all of Texas.
The international bridges are so busy, and Port Laredo was the No. 1 overall port in the country. But since worldwide tariffs took effect last year, the port no longer holds that title.
Laredo customs broker Jose Martinez says the back-and-forth over the last year has brought a lot of changes to his line of work.
“Sometimes you tell [your clients] it’s Friday, and if you have anything moving over the weekend, make sure it crosses because Monday, you’ll be paying more,” Martinez said.
Laredo is still the country’s busiest land port by far, but New York and Los Angeles took the top spots as shippers rushed to cross merchandise before tariffs took effect.
“Everybody that had to get rid of all their high-value stuff and get it to the U.S. quickly before anything changed, did, and another port became number one,” Martinez said.
Martinez says brokers are adapting to the new landscape and see a more stable future on the horizon with tariff refunds on the way.
“Now that the Supreme Court ruled, everything is getting a little more stable,” Martinez said. “Maybe by June or July we’ll be the number one port period like we were last year.”