Crossing Hours Extended at Puerto Colombia-Laredo

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office will extend the crossing hours for empty tractor-trailers and cargo trailers at the Colombia-Laredo Port at the request of the Nuevo León state government to boost cross-border trade with Texas, the state government said.

The honorary director of the Corporation for the Development of the Nuevo León Border Zone (Codefront), the association that manages the intersection, announced that the adjustment will serve as a 90-day pilot program, with operations running from 7:00 a.m. to midnight. In addition to the large number of empty trucks that typically travel through the area early in the morning, the opening time will be moved up, thereby reducing wait times for the trucking industry.

Meanwhile, Marco González, Secretary of Regional and Agricultural Development, stated that a request for an extension would also be submitted to Albert Flores, director of CBP for Puerto Laredo, noting that a positive response was received in less than a week.

However, the official clarified that the program does not apply to commercial cargo vehicles carrying goods or to informal customs declarations.