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Despite signs of progress, delays continue at a border that has long been known as a chokepoint for North-South trade. Cheesebrew of Mach 1 notes that although there are FAST lanes at a number of ports of entry, very few Mexican truckers are FAST certified. "Those that aren't may have to wait in line five to six hours to cross through Mexican and U.S. Customs," she says. "If they send trucks out of a plant early afternoon, we can't get them here until 7:00 or 8:00 o'clock at night, and we miss the airfreight or truck cut-offs to send them elsewhere."

Planned changes in the way advance shipment information is submitted to CBP could further delay imports from Mexico. Within the next few months, motor carriers that cross the border from Mexico into the United States (rather than the freight forwarder) will be required to electronically transmit detailed shipment information to CBP. That system already is in place along most of the northern border. But it might not work on the southern border, where some of the busiest crossings rely on local draymen to shuttle loads across the border, notes Beltran.

Most of the drayage companies are owner-operators with a few aging vehicles, and they typically don't have the technology or the financial resources to meet CBP's mandate, says Laredo-based customs broker Daniel Hastings, Jr. He's seen some draymen refuse to accept responsibility for transmitting that information—which will increase from fewer than a dozen elements to 126—on the grounds that it's required by U.S. authorities and therefore should be handled entirely on the U.S. side. "The issue will be whether the draymen will be able to, will want to, and will accept responsibility for providing electronic manifest information or hard copy [bar-coded documentation]," he says. Those that don't are likely to go out of business, he predicts.

Cargo security is a moving target, and it's difficult for international traders to be sure they're in compliance with the requirements of all three NAFTA countries. Education, communication, cooperation, and careful selection of service providers are key to success, say those in the know. (See "Advice From the Frontlines" on Page 52 for their recommendations.)

Security-related logjams, moreover, could get worse before they get better. "I see more regulations coming up, not less, and that will cause more delays," predicts Averitt's Valdez. But shippers can take heart that technological innovations and infrastructure improvements now under development, along with increasing cooperation and harmonization of practices among U.S., Canadian, and Mexican customs authorities, should eventually bear fruit. That could be a long way off, though, so for now, strict compliance under current conditions while preparing for future changes is the smart route across both borders.