An in-depth look at Pharr's $36.68 billion worth of trade with the world

PHARR, Texas - Pharr International Bridge sponsored a webinar recently to discuss what happened to world trade in 2020 and to gaze into the crystal ball.The host was Ken Roberts, president of WorldCity. Roberts produces an annual book for the City of Pharr called Trade Numbers. The 2020 version analyzes Pharr’s $36.68 billion worth of trade with the world.Another key speaker on the webinar was Guillermo Malpica Soto, who was one of the lead negotiators for Mexico during negotiations between the United States, Mexico and Canada on crafting NAFTA’s replacement, USMCA.Luis Bazan, director of the Pharr International Bridge, said Pharr has a great story to tell as it relates to international trade.“Although the pandemic did affect the nation’s trade, which caused the value of trade nationwide to decrease by about 12 percent, crossings and revenues in Pharr were up for 2020. It is so important we tell that story,” Bazan said.A lot of investment in infrastructure is being made on the U.S. and Mexican sides of the Pharr International Bridge. Bazan said it is important that the stakeholders that use the bridge are aware of the expansion plans.“As we continue to develop the infrastructure projects that Mayor Hernandez and the City Commission set out to accomplish, we must ensure the trade community understands the importance of their vision for the Pharr International Bridge and how these projects will position Pharr strategically for future trade, by improving efficiencies and reducing wait times to ultimately service a larger market,” Bazan said.Co-sponsors of the webinar included Mid Valley Customs Brokers Association, the North American Strategy for Competitiveness, and the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.