Source: Trucking Dive
Date: 10th March 2025

Some customers have seen an increase in wait times at the U.S.-Mexico border, while others are adjusting to avoid higher duties.

The tariff whiplash of the past week required trucking carriers and shippers to closely monitor the changing landscape surrounding import duties, which could shift again next month.

Tariffs have been suspended on all imports that are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement — but only until April 2, the White House announced Thursday. The notice also followed a tariff exemption for car imports from Mexico and Canada.

Cross-border trucking plays a large role in supply chains, and carriers have been staying in regular contact with customers to help them navigate ongoing uncertainty.

“The impact of tariffs on cross-border trade is tremendous. Many big shippers have already stopped shipping,” a reliable source told Trucking Dive.

Cross-border slowdown
One of the things that has been happening is longer delays at all the border crossings across Canada, and even slowdowns into Mexico, taking longer to get across the border.

‘Massive unleashing’ of freight

With tariffs now on hold, a surge of shipments that had been delayed all week in anticipation of avoiding the hefty tariffs is now flooding the system. Border crossing agents and transload facilities are facing a wave of freight to handle as the weekend approaches. The available [load-to-truck] ratio has spiked significantly, driving spot rates up sharply.

All attention now shifts to the first week of April to determine whether tariffs will return, stay paused, or be removed entirely.