Good morning, everyone. I'm Joe Neeb, Laredo city manager. I've been in Laredo for the last two and a half years. I've been a 25 year city manager, and I have been a certified economic developer since 2004 with the International Economic Development Council.
It's an honor to be here today and talk about smart-shoring and how Port Laredo, the number one port in the US, is leading the efforts to transform North American trade.
Laredo isn't just moving goods. We're shaping the future of supply chains, and today I want to share what that means to our region and our role in that.
Laredo is uniquely positioned at the heart of North American trade. We process over 18,000 commercial trucks daily, more than any other port in the United States. This activity represents a critical piece of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the USMCA, which has made Laredo the trade gateway.
But our role isn't just about the volume, it's about being ready for what's next. That's where smart-shoring steps in. When we talk about smart-shoring, we're talking about creating resilient, secure and efficient supply chains by bringing more advanced manufacturing and processing closer to home, while leveraging the strengths of our binational region. It's about balancing the domestic production on-shoring with the international near-shoring that we've seen over the last few years.
Instead of choosing one over the other, our goal is to marry the near-shoring to the on-shoring and the re-shoring. With federal priorities shifting toward re-shoring US manufacturing, we see a tremendous opportunity to make sure manufacturing grows here in the US, while Laredo facilitates the innovation, the collaboration and the integration across the border. And I think you can see that in the entire agenda for this conference.
Global disruptions taught us an important lesson. Supply chains must evolve. The pandemic labor shortages and geopolitical uncertainty have pushed businesses to rethink where and how goods are produced. Laredo’s advantage is clear. Our binational location, our workforce, and our infrastructure allow companies to shorten supply lines, reduce the risk and speed delivery. Smart-shoring isn't just a concept, is becoming an economic imperative.
Laredo is already ahead of the curve in preparing for this transformation. At our bridges, we use next gen-technologies such as real time sensors, dynamic signage and advanced x-ray inspection systems to manage the truck flows and to keep the freight moving efficiently. This ability to integrate technology with infrastructure strengthens our position as a cross-border freight leader and lays the groundwork for scaling smart-shoring strategies across our region.
Smart-shoring brings new workforce demands, higher skilled jobs, advanced manufacturing, logistics and technology. While we intend to work closely with Texas A&M International University, Laredo College and our binational university systems in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, some collaborative programs we have already started, underway in our economic missions from last year.
But make no mistake, to make smart-shoring succeed, we'll need to build capacity, create training pipelines and align education with industry needs on both sides of the border.
This transformation depends on partnerships. Laredo success is tied to collaboration across governments, universities, private industry and trade organizations. We're already coordinating with federal agencies, logistics innovations and manufacturing partners to prepare for this shift and the dialog that also extends to our binational neighbors.
It’s not just about infrastructure. It's about building relationships that makes supply chains smarter, stronger and more competitive. Port Laredo’s long term vision is bold but clear: to remain the nation's number one port by continuing to invest in infrastructure and expanding capacity; to become the center of innovation and technology-driven trade, integrating next generation tools to improve efficiency and reliability; and strengthen our role as the gateway to North America - seamlessly connecting our markets, our manufacturing and our consumers.
To support this vision, we are taking concrete steps. We're working on establishing transportation reinvestment zones, TRZs - in the north and the south that will help fund future expansion to keep us ahead of the freight demand. We are modernizing our bridge systems with new inspection technologies and more innovative traffic management tools. And we're positioning Laredo as the front door to smart-shoring, ensuring our infrastructure, our workforce and our partnerships are ready to drive transformation.
Smart-shoring is central to that vision. It positions us not just as a pass through for trade, but as an active driver of economic growth and innovation across the supply chain.
Laredo is at the forefront of this historic shift. We're already in the hub of the US-Mexico trade and smart-shoring positions us to lead the next era of economic growth for our region and beyond. This isn't just a local strategy, it's about building stronger, smarter and more resilient economies across North America. Thank you, and I look forward to discussing these ideas further during the panel.
Editor’s Note: The above commentary was provided by Joseph Neeb, Laredo city manager, when he appeared as a panelist at Laredo Economic Development Corporation’s Pathways for Trade Symposium. The symposium was held Aug. 28, 2025, at the Laredo Country Club. The panel discussion was titled: Transformation Via Smart-Shoring.
