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Council asks staff to draft cooperation agreement with Mexico City as part of push for cross‑border trade, manufacturing
Summary
The council voted to direct management to prepare a draft cooperation agreement with Mexico City and discussed using the city’s position as the leading U.S.–Mexico port of entry to attract manufacturing and ‘smart‑shoring’ investment.
The Laredo City Council on Sept. 15 directed city management to bring back a sample cooperation agreement with Mexico City aimed at strengthening financial collaboration and international commerce.
Lede: Mayor Victor D. Trevino said the agreement would lay groundwork to deepen ties with Mexico City, support near‑shoring and ‘smart‑shoring’ strategies, and help Laredo compete for manufacturing and value‑added trade tied to ongoing bridge and port expansion.
Nut graf: Council discussion covered economic development goals, past and planned incentives to broaden the city’s industrial base beyond logistics and warehousing, and the need for a coordinated package — workforce training, revised tax abatements and site readiness — to recruit manufacturers that might locate operations around cross‑border supply chains.
What the council debated: City staff and economic development officials told the council the city has long sought diversification beyond logistics, and that recent conversations at a Pathways to Trade conference and new federal reshoring priorities create opportunities. Staff said the Laredo Economic Development Council (LEDC) is working on incentives and that management plans to present an amendment to Chapter 380 agreements to better attract manufacturing.
Council directions and outcome: The council voted to have management return with a sample cooperation agreement for review; the motion passed on a voice vote. Council members also asked staff to prepare a package describing workforce readiness, development park availability and proposed tax/incentive changes; staff said they would work with the LEDC and bring an amended Chapter 380 package forward within months.
Context: Speakers noted two infrastructure items that factor into competitiveness: planned expansion of international bridges and a proposed passenger and freight rail line connecting Mexico City to the border. Council members and staff also discussed the need to coordinate with federal partners and state incentives to capture construction and manufacturing funding.
Ending: Management was directed to return a draft cooperation agreement for council review; no binding international contract was executed at the Sept. 15 meeting.
