ken roberts

PHARR, Texas - The start of the fresh produce season 2021-22 was celebrated at the Pharr International Bridge on Oct. 7.

Produce growers, importers, distributors, and consumers from the United States and Mexico were in attendance for the annual event.

The Pharr International Bridge is No. 1 in the nation for moving fresh produce. It averages 200,000 fresh produce shipments per year. It is No. 1 in the nation for the importation of pineapples and avocados. It is No. 2 in the nation for the importation of berries. And it is No. 3 in the nation for the importation of tomatoes.

This information was provided by Ken Roberts of World City, a publication that tracks imports and exports U.S. Census data.

“The Pharr International Bridge continues to remain the #1 Produce gateway in the nation,” said Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, ahead of the event. “Our bridge director, board, and staff continue to do an outstanding job working with all our partners to continue to expand growth and access through our bridge and we look forward to another record-setting season.”

At the event, Hernandez said the “unsung heroes” of the Pharr International Bridge were the consumers that use the port of entry.

Pharr International Bridge Director Luis Bazan pointed out that the U.S. has consistently remained Mexico's No. 1 trading partner for produce and goods. He said Pharr's ideal geographical location has resulted in not only a great partnership between the two countries, but also in the growth of their produce trading capacity. 

“The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge has evolved into the largest land port for fruits and vegetables in the nation,” Bazan told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. “Currently, the Pharr International Bridge crosses more than 65 percent of all the fresh produce coming from Mexico through Texas land ports of entry.”

Ken Roberts and World City reported that the U.S. imported $355.10 million worth of lemons and other citrus produce through the bridge. The value of peppers, asparagus, and squash, etc., crossing into the U.S. via the bridge was $428.01.71 million. The value of tomatoes crossing into the U.S. via the bridge was $592.72 million. The value of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries crossing into the U.S. via the bridge was $954.71 million. And the value of avocados, dates, figs and pineapples crossing the same bridge was worth $1.43 billion. 

The attached podcast features all the comments made from the podium by Mayor Hernandez and Bridge Director Bazan at the season kickoff event.

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Ken Roberts, president of WorldCity, held a webinar with Cameron County International Bridge System titled “2020 Cameron County Trade Trends Webinar.” 

The program, in English and Spanish, also featured Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., Cameron County International Bridge System Director Josue Garcia, Jr., and Bob Parker, port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Brownsville.

Collating data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Roberts looked at imports and exports through Cameron County’s various bridges, pointing out that the county does $18 billion worth of trade with the world.

While trade is down because of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the world economy, Roberts sees reason for optimism.

“We’re in the middle of this tough but things will get better,” Roberts said.

One of the questions asked of Roberts focused on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is the successor trade deal to NAFTA.

“What is in the middle of the transition from NAFTA to USMCA is pandemic and the economic fallout. I think even without that the transition would have been gradual,” Roberts said.

Florida-based Roberts said there are not a lot of changes between the two trade agreements. 

“But some of those involving automotive in particular will have some impact because there are some changes to the wage requirements that affect only Mexican labor, not Canadian or U.S. labor,” Roberts said.

“And then there are some changes that affect the quantity of parts that will go into cars that are eligible for the tariff elimination. What remains to be seen is will people abide by the new regulations to avoid the tariff or just pay the tariff with the less expensive, essentially Chinese motor parts.”

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.