The U.S.–Mexico border is a place where production systems meet. Its long-term opportunity depends on how well businesses work together across that connection.
Start with the scale of the relationship
USTR estimates bilateral goods and services trade at $964.1 billion in 2025. This covers the full bilateral relationship, not land-border traffic alone.
Connect national ambition to business performance
Our thesis is that a more competitive North American production system emerges from stronger capabilities on both sides of the border. More dependable suppliers, better industrial quality, clearer information and reliable handoffs can help companies deliver a stronger customer proposition. Those are practical places to begin a larger competitiveness agenda.
Treat the corridor as an interconnected system
A new facility alone does not resolve every constraint. Its performance also depends on power, workforce capability, transport connections and the quality of information exchanged with customers and suppliers. The Center brings these themes into the same conversation so investment and technology choices can reflect operating reality.
Build the knowledge that leads to action
Useful research should help a leader understand a decision, question an assumption or recognize an opportunity. Executive engagement should connect that understanding to people who can act. Our role is to make those connections more productive, with a clear path to Shokworks when an opportunity calls for engineering and delivery.
2025 estimates. Source accessed September 2026. The remaining sections present Border AI’s perspective.