SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Business leader Joaquin Spamer, president and founder of Commodities Integrated Logistics (CIL) Group and co-founder of the RioPlex binational regional initiative, is pushing for a fundamental shift in how North American leaders view cross-border trade.
Speaking on a panel titled "Made in North America: Manufacturing Competitiveness" at the 2026 NADBank Summit in San Antonio, Spamer argued that the era of simple "nearshoring" must evolve into what he terms "loyal-shoring."
“We see that people are placing greater value on our own market—the North American market comprising Mexico, the United States, and Canada,” Spamer said. “Companies across these three countries are realizing the value of remaining loyal to the market where they generate their profits. That is the essence of 'loyal-shoring': we must be loyal to the market that yields our profits.”
Spamer pointed out that international competitors, particularly automotive manufacturing firms entering Mexico from China without manufacturing footprints within the three partner nations, are moving in to exploit North American open trade policies.
“I believe that consumers, business owners, and government officials alike need to show loyalty to the market where we operate; we cannot simply welcome companies into the country that do not manufacture anything here,” Spamer cautioned.
Highlighting the economic force of the Texas-Tamaulipas borderlands, Spamer underscored the momentum behind the RioPlex initiative. Built on a regional model encompassing four South Texas counties and three northern Tamaulipas municipalities, the area forms a powerhouse cross-border hub.
“When you look at it as a unit, we have four seaports, we have seven international ports, we have 3.5 million people, 1.8 million from Mexico, 1.7 million from the U.S.,” Spamer stated. “We have 20 countries doing business in the region, we have over 600 manufacturing companies, we have 60 industrial parks.”
He pointed to rapid expansions across the region, citing Cameron County’s commercial developments—including SpaceX’s Starbase and the Port of Brownsville—alongside major advanced manufacturing investments in Hidalgo County, such as Valeo’s multi-phase expansion.
“And the one that nobody has—sorry guys, we have SpaceX, we have the gateway to the future,” Spamer remarked. “We’re seeing the ultimate technology being manufactured in Cameron County, at Starbase, right in RioPlex. If you want to be competitive, you have to think about how you project it.”
Addressing current trade disruptions and ongoing tariff debates, Spamer framed market turbulence as a necessary wake-up call for business leaders across the continent.
Referencing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Spamer noted that while the treaty was designed to foster mutual economic prosperity, local supply chain development fell short over time.
“To use an analogy: imagine being invited to a party hosted by the owner of Johnnie Walker, but showing up with a bottle of Chivas Regal,” Spamer said. “When the U.S. market opened up to Mexican companies—and American companies began doing business in Mexico—many Mexican firms, seeking to cut costs, started buying from abroad instead of developing local supply chains (Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers). They took the easy route.”
He called on regional stakeholders to leverage current trade realignments to rebuild internal supply chains and protect North American manufacturing capabilities.
“Pessimism is the alibi of cowards,” Spamer told attendees. “Right now, we need to be optimistic; I believe there are excellent opportunities for the manufacturing sector—opportunities we are already seeing unfold in our region.”
