b'THE UNCONTAINEDLocated in San Juan, TX, Rio Bravo is one of many modern logistics facilities serving Mexicanfresh produce imports. Rio Bravo is owned by Dallas-based Marengo Foods Co. LLC., a growerand exporter of Mexican fresh produce.USMCA, Produce and Brownsville two-way trade in industrial products. Although 2020 saw the Going into effect in 1993, NAFTA was a significant eventrestart of grain exports of regionally grown sorghum destined that helped diversify trade with Mexico. Campirano noted theto China, creating new international market opportunities for perishable exports from Mexico to the United States showed theSouth Texas farming families. greatest gain.Brownsville completed the rehabilitation of Bulk Cargo Given the nature of Mexicos fresh produce industry, NAFTA,Dock, improving access to the three million-bushel grain and then the USMCA, have been most beneficial to Texas landelevator operated by WestPlains LLC.ports specializing in perishables, Campirano said.By the NumbersAlthough Brownsville has a history in agriculture, that ofThe latest statistics from Brownsville show that vessel course isnt its modern-day strength.traffic through the Brownsville Ship Channel increased by 11% According to the Brownsville website, 86 years ago, thein 2021. Throughout 2020, 1,671 vessels called on the port, port began as a major agriculture hub for the region, with Texasand in 2021 that number increased to 1,855.citrus exports by sea being key. The Brownsville and Rio Grande International Railroad, Initially, a key NAFTA beneficiary was the Nogales,operated by OmniTRAX, ended 2021 with an all-time high of AZ, crossing point. Located directly north of Sinaloa and65,865 loaded railcars handled, a 22% increase from 2020. immediately north of Sonora, Nogales for decades had been theCampirano said 85% of the rail moves from Brownsville are primary port for receiving Mexican fruits and vegetables boundsouth bound.for U.S. and Canadian markets.Throughout 2021, the port registered 438,000 truck But a very significant shift began in 2013, when Mexicomovements representing an average of 1,200 truck completed the expensive Mazatlan-Durango highway, slicingmovements per day.through Mexicos most-rugged mountain range. The new fast,The Port of Brownsville is the grantee for Foreign Trade direct, safe route gave vegetable growers in Culiacan and otherZone No. 62, which has over 2,300 acres available for usage, key Pacific Coast production areas a much closer alternative viaconsistently ranks in the Top 3 FTZs for the value of exports south Texas to Atlantic Coast markets, over shipping throughout of 193 FTZs in the nation.Nogales. For 2021, exported commodities passing through the Campirano noted that Pharr and Laredo, TX, subsequentlyFTZ were valued at more than $5 billion, while imported exploded to become the United States largest landport forcommodities were valued at more than $4 billion.receiving fresh produce.Historically at Brownsville, ag exports business gave way to 17'