Laredo Top Trade Port Again: $38.56 Billion in August

What happened

Laredo is the top trade port in the United States again. New numbers for August 2026 show $38.56 billion in trade crossed through Port Laredo. That is up 28.5% from $30.02 billion in August 2025.

FreightWaves reported the numbers on Oct. 7, 2026. They come from U.S. Census Bureau data, analyzed by WorldCity.

Here is the August picture for Port Laredo:

• Imports: $26.23 billion, up 33.9%.
• Exports: $12.34 billion, up 18.3%.
• Mexico is 97.6% of Laredo's trade.
• Laredo handled 7.1% of all U.S. trade.

Laredo beat Chicago O'Hare airport ($33.4 billion) and the Port of Los Angeles ($27.8 billion).

Mexico is still the top U.S. trading partner. U.S.-Mexico trade hit $94.29 billion in August, up 26.75% from a year before. Canada was second with $66.27 billion. China was third with $35.86 billion.

From January to August, U.S.-Mexico trade reached $682.82 billion. That is up 17.5% from 2025. Trade with China fell 12% in the same months.

What it means for owner-operators

More trade at Laredo means more loads moving across the World Trade Bridge and the Colombia Solidarity Bridge. Those are the two cargo bridges. It also means more freight on I-35, Mines Road and the roads out of the border.

Imports from Mexico grew the most, up 34.3% across the country. That is northbound freight. Carriers who haul from the border to Texas cities and the rest of the U.S. are in the middle of it.

This matters even if you never cross the river. Many loads that start in Laredo end in Dallas, Houston, Chicago or the Midwest.

More freight also means more trucks in line. On Oct. 7 at 4 p.m., CBP showed about 60 minutes of delay in the regular commercial lanes at the World Trade Bridge, with 11 of 19 lanes open. FAST lanes showed about 10 minutes. Colombia showed about 30 minutes.

What to do next

• Get your paperwork ready before the bridge. Cross-border loads need your USDOT, MC and other filings in order. A missing item can cost you a load.
• Look at FAST. On Oct. 7, FAST lanes moved much faster than regular lanes at the World Trade Bridge.
• Check wait times before you go. CBP posts them free at bwt.cbp.gov.
• Keep your file clean. Our trucking filing guide shows what your authority needs to stay active.

The border keeps growing. A complete file helps you take the loads that come with it.