San Diego and Tijuana keep building stronger commercial ties with new air cargo facility

A new air cargo park set to open in Tijuana could not only boost trade relations between Mexico and Asia, but provide San Diego with another major commercial connection to its southern neighbor.

Along with other major infrastructure projects and border crossings, the cargo facility is yet another fortification increasing San Diego’s economic relationship with Mexico. It’s a welcome development to trade advocates at a time when the future of cross-border commerce is uncertain.

In March, the air cargo and logistics facility will begin operation adjacent to the Tijuana International Airport. The roughly 64-acre air cargo park was built by a subsidiary of Grupo Bustamante, the real estate and development company of former Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante.

Bustamante said the air cargo park will make it easier to move goods between Asia and Latin America, serving companies such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, Estafeta, Aeromexico, and Volaris Cargo. It will include on-site Mexican customs authorities, a bonded warehouse, office space for freight forwarders, customs agents, banking services, food concessions and the Mexican Postal Service.

“There’s been an increased amount of Chinese investment in South America and Mexico,” said Jock O’Connoll, an International Trade Advisor at Beacon Economics. “There’s a lot of competition for playing the same kind of role Panamanians do in becoming a key transit point for shipments by ship and airplane between the Far East and South and Central America.”

Such a facility would permit Latin America to more easily trade directly with Asia.