Status of the U.S.-Mexico Commercial Border Crossing Process: Analysis of Recent Studies and Research

Abstract

The commercial border crossing process is an important element of the international transportation and supply-chain systems that influence greatly the national and international economies. Numerous research and analyses have identified issues and problems pertaining to the U.S.-Mexico commercial border crossing. The objective of this paper is to identify issues and problems that relate to the commercial border crossing process along the U.S.-Mexico border and to analyze, classify, and note the status of each issue. A brief description of the northbound commercial border crossing, the recently implemented security programs at the border, and the status of opening the border to Mexican trucks provide a background that facilitates the understanding of current conditions at commercial ports of entry. From the vast list of information on commercial border crossings, this paper presents a selection of reports and classifies issues and notes the status or change in the situation of each issue. Even though progre...