By Luis Montoya
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Steve Perez, a longtime freight broker and general manager of Fast Port, LLC, has proposed constructing the Smart Bridge, a binational autonomous trade corridor directly connecting the Port of Brownsville, Texas, with Matamoros, Mexico.
Key details of the initiative include:
- Infrastructure and technology operate as a 24/7 autonomous ecosystem utilizing AI, IoT, zero-emission electric vehicles, autonomous trucks for long combination vehicles (LCVs), and autonomous cargo ships.
- The presidential permit leverages a dormant 40-year-old presidential permit held by the Port of Brownsville, eliminating the need for new federal approval processes.
- The economic advantage bridges the free trade zone in Matamoros with the foreign trade zone in Brownsville to provide tariff savings, tax deferrals, and simplified customs.
- Customs and logistics utilize AI pre-clearance to process shipments in minutes, with real-time tracking by our centralized manufacturing control tower dashboard.
- Projected impact: aimed at creating a high-tech manufacturing cluster in the Rio Grande Valley similar to Shenzhen, China.
Website and contact information are available at www.fastportready.com or via email at info@smartbridgecorridor.com.
RGG Business Journal Editor Steve Taylor invited Perez on a podcast to expand upon his ideas for the Smart Bridge concept. Here is the podcast:
