Mexico and the United States have made progress on new border infrastructure projects between the two nations during 2022.
On June 13 and 14, the Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum was held to discuss priorities on infrastructure, secure flows, water, environment, technology and security in the U.S.-Mexico border region.
Within the framework of this mechanism, border infrastructure projects were followed up on, such as: the completion of the return lane at the Otay I port (BC), the new Otay II-(BC) crossing project and the project to modernize the San Jeronimo (Chih.)-Santa Teresa (NM) port facilities and access roads.
The two countries also continued with the modernization of the Reynosa (Tamps.)-Pharr (TX) port facilities and made progress on the railroad project to link the cities of Ojinaga (Chih.) and Presidio (TX), among others.
At the same time, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), environmental conservation and the promotion of sustainable development in the border region is another priority for the Mexican government.
Border infrastructure
In this regard, the SRE participated in the meetings of the Binational Board of Directors of the North American Development Bank (NADB), an environmental financial institution capitalized by the governments of Mexico and the United States to facilitate the financing of environmental infrastructure projects in the region.
Thus, between September 2021 and June 2022, eight projects were approved and certified: three of them in Mexico (San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora; Cd. Juárez and Chihuahua, Chihuahua), and five in the USA (San Diego, CA; Patagonia and Nogales, AZ; and Mission and Kenney, TX). In June 2022, a new credit program for small investors (Green Loans) was approved, as well as a seven-month extension of the ProRec Program to reduce the impacts of Covid-19.
Bilateral Trade
The border between Mexico and the United States is a region characterized by its constant dynamism, particularly due to its undeniable relevance to intensify the promotion of competitiveness, development and welfare of both countries.
The SER indicates that this is reflected in the fact that more than 80% of bilateral trade (which amounted to US$661.2 billion in 2021) circulated through this region.
