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What’s New This Week

Good morning, this week, we spotlight the urgent shifts reshaping the future of North America—starting with the silent supply chain shutdown unfolding across U.S. ports and the vital role U.S.-Mexico trade must play in rebuilding resilience. At the same time, a new AI-driven revolution is poised to redefine how goods move across borders, while the enduring strength of Catholic communities along the U.S.-Mexico border reminds us that even in times of disruption, faith, culture, and shared values hold us together.

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Trade Winds

The Invisible Shutdown: Why U.S.-Mexico Trade is Key to Weathering the Coming Supply Chain Crash

In trade and logistics, the first sign of a real crisis is often silence. No alarms. No breaking news. Just a slow, creeping stillness across ports, warehouses, and transportation hubs.

Right now, that silence is spreading across the U.S. economy—and most leaders don’t even see it yet.

Earlier this month, critical container flows from China to the United States abruptly slowed, with new tariff threats and tensions throwing shipping orders into chaos. But because it takes 30 to 55 days for those containers to reach American shores—from Los Angeles to Houston to New York—the true economic impact has only begun to show itself in the last few days.

The consequences are unavoidable:

• Truckers in Los Angeles are seeing jobs dry up.

• Warehouse workers are being told there’s no freight coming in.

• Retailers and manufacturers are bracing for missing inventory by early summer.

Even if policymakers were to reverse course today—waving off tariffs and asking China to resume shipments immediately—the supply chain damage is already done. Just like flipping a light switch off during lockdowns, turning the lights back on doesn’t instantly bring everything back to life. Factories need time. Orders need to be rebuilt. Ships need to be reloaded. It would be another 30 to 55 days at minimum before any recovery could begin. And that's under perfect conditions.

Having spent years managing cross-border operations and economic development—from serving as Chief of Staff at U.S. Customs and Border Protection to leading Arizona’s Department of Commerce—I’ve seen how delicate these logistics systems are. Every hour lost at a port, every missing container, every delayed truck multiplies through the economy like ripples in a pond.

And this is why U.S.-Mexico trade matters more now than ever.

As traditional supply chains from Asia grind to a halt, North American resilience becomes not just an economic strategy—but a survival imperative. Mexico is uniquely positioned to step into the gap:

• It’s geographically close.

• It’s deeply integrated with U.S. production lines.

• It offers a stable, secure alternative for industries desperate for shorter, faster supply routes.

But this opportunity will not realize itself automatically. It requires leadership, infrastructure, and investment.

That’s exactly why I’ve made the SouthBridge project a personal and professional priority. Located in Nogales, Arizona/Nogales, Sonora—one of the most critical ports of entry between the U.S. and Mexico—SouthBridge is designed to be a next-generation cross-border hub. A place where goods, ideas, and innovation flow freely, securely, and efficiently.

In many ways, SouthBridge is a direct answer to the crisis we’re seeing unfold:

• Reducing reliance on fragile transpacific supply chains.

• Accelerating nearshoring for industries like semiconductors, manufacturing, and logistics.

• Strengthening North American independence in the face of rising global uncertainty.

We can no longer afford to think of border infrastructure as just a local issue. It is national security. It is economic strategy. It is the future of how we live and work.

The shutdown we’re experiencing today is a warning. The question is whether we have the vision to act before the next one comes—and before the silence turns into something harder to fix.

Power Move

AI’s Coming Disruption to Trade—and How North America Can Lead

In today’s world, most conversations about trade disruption focus on tariffs, supply chain shocks, or political instability. But another, quieter revolution is gathering momentum: artificial intelligence is about to transform international trade itself.

From predictive logistics to automated customs processing to AI-driven supply chain optimization, the way goods move across borders is about to change forever.

For leaders in U.S.-Mexico trade, this is not a threat—it’s an opportunity.

In my time overseeing border operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, I saw firsthand how inefficient processes could bottleneck trade worth billions of dollars. Every minute a truck sat idle, every hour paperwork was delayed, it cost businesses and economies real money. AI has the power to eliminate much of that friction.

Imagine a future where:

• AI platforms predict port congestion days in advance and reroute shipments automatically.

• Smart contracts between U.S. and Mexican companies reduce paperwork from weeks to seconds.

• Predictive analytics optimize cross-border manufacturing, cutting costs and slashing waste.

But seizing this opportunity requires deliberate action. It requires investments not just in physical infrastructure—like the SouthBridge project I'm helping lead—but in digital modernization as well.

It requires governments to work together to establish cross-border data standards, cybersecurity protocols, and regulatory frameworks that allow AI tools to be deployed safely and efficiently.

If we do this right, North America can set the gold standard for the world’s first AI-enhanced trade bloc—one that is faster, more resilient, and more secure than anything built before.

If we miss this moment, others—China, Europe, emerging regional coalitions—will fill the gap.

The future of trade won't be decided solely by ports and factories. It will be decided by who can best blend technology, trust, and vision across borders.

The Border Buzz

Faith Across Borders: How Catholicism Unites U.S.-Mexico Communities in Times of Change

As Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome this weekend, millions around the world paused to reflect on a legacy built on humility, compassion, and advocacy for the marginalized. Along the U.S.-Mexico border, that reflection took on a deeply personal meaning.

For border communities, faith isn’t just a private belief—it’s a living, breathing part of daily life.

Growing up along the border, I experienced firsthand how Catholicism shaped families, neighborhoods, and the very rhythms of our towns. From processions on feast days to baptisms, quinceañeras, and weekly Mass, the Church has long been a cornerstone that helped people weather life's many uncertainties.

Even as economic forces, politics, and migration patterns have reshaped the border over the decades, faith has remained a steady bridge across families and communities.

Today, about 55% of Mexican-Americans still identify as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center, and more than 80% identify broadly as Christian. In Mexico itself, over 77% of the population identifies as Catholic, making it one of the largest Catholic countries in the world. These figures represent more than religious affiliation—they reflect a shared cultural DNA that transcends national boundaries.

You see it in border towns where a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe stands just a few feet from the international line.

You feel it during cross-border pilgrimages, where migrants and families pray for safety, unity, and hope.

You hear it in the songs that blend Spanish and English during Sunday services from San Diego to Brownsville.

In moments of change and uncertainty—whether economic disruptions like the ones we’re seeing today, or shifts in political leadership—faith continues to provide a common language of resilience, dignity, and connection.

As we honor the life and message of Pope Francis, it’s worth remembering that the border is not just a line on a map. It’s a living testament to shared traditions, enduring values, and a spiritual bond that defies walls and distances.

And in that bond, there is hope.

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