InfoPower

Fairly or unfairly, many movies set in Mexico, or partly in Mexico, often feature banditry or other cartel unpleasantries which, of course, could be said of any other country in the world. Yet lately, Mexico has experienced a surge of crime directly affecting a major segment of their supply chain—ground transportation, or more precisely, the over-the-road trucking industry. While the U.S. has its own cargo theft issues (240 cargo thefts in the first six months of 2023) with the most pilfered states being California, Texas, and Georgia respectively ($360,000 per heist), Mexico’s cargo thefts are off the charts.

For those working directly with supply chains, the memories of lockdowns and ongoing supply chain disruptions are likely indelible. Newton’s Third Law of Motion states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The “reaction” is still knocking around the Supply Chain enough to give purchasers, shippers, and receivers a mild case of PTSD.

East and Gulf Coast Ports Overtake West Coast in Imports The backlash at America’s largest seaport seemed inevitable. Not that many months ago, upwards of 120 ghost ships languished well off L.A.’s coastline waiting to berth and offload cargo.

Los Angeles & Long Beach Ports Handle 40% of the Country’s Inbound Containers

In an InfoPower article posted on March 15, 2021, “Importers of Chinese Electrical Cord Sets and Components May Continue Experiencing Gridlock,” Interpower noted the rising costs of shipping containers, specifically that the rate of a container shipping from Asia to Europe in November of 2020 was $2,200. In February of 2021, three months later, that same container cost $7,900.