Jael Durán Puts Manufacturing at the Center of Texas-Mexico Integration

Jael Durán, director general of INDEX Nacional, brought the needs of Mexico’s export manufacturers to the Gateway Forum with a direct message: investment in he Pharr International Bridge can strengthen the competitiveness of the production networks connecting Texas and Mexico.

Speaking during the international panel on October 7, Durán explained that manufacturers depend on border infrastructure to move components into production when they are needed. For companies working with limited inventories, uncertainty at the crossing can become uncertainty on the factory floor.

“It means investing in the competitiveness of this region,” Durán said in Spanish, describing the significance of the bridge project for INDEX and the manufacturers it represents. She welcomed the expansion and the organization’s continuing collaboration with Pharr as support for more integrated industrial supply chains.

Reliable crossings keep production moving

Durán placed particular emphasis on just-in-time manufacturing, in which components arrive to enter production rather than remain in extensive inventories. She identified automotive, medical devices, semiconductors, and aerospace among the strategic sectors that rely on dependable logistics within the Mexico–U.S. relationship.

Her point connected the bridge’s capacity with daily operating requirements. A shipment crossing the border may contain an input needed for the next stage of production. More reliable movement helps companies coordinate that work across facilities, suppliers, and customers in different locations.

Durán said she had visited the bridge earlier that day and praised the investment in infrastructure, technology, and security. She linked those improvements with the confidence manufacturers need when choosing how to move products through the Texas–Tamaulipas region.

During the same event, Luis Bazán, director general of the Pharr International Bridge, said the new span was opening in phases and was expected to be fully open in November, adding 100 percent more bridge capacity. Durán’s remarks explained why that capacity matters to the industrial users the project is intended to serve.

Priorities for industrial continuity

Durán outlined priorities extending beyond physical construction. She called for reliable logistics and sufficient crossing capacity, faster and more predictable customs procedures, and regulatory certainty that allows manufacturers to plan their operations.

She encouraged continued cooperation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexico’s customs authority, ANAM, to find common ground in inspection processes. She also warned that abrupt regulatory changes can disrupt production chains, underscoring why businesses need clarity on both sides of the border.

For INDEX Nacional, she explained, industry discussions should lead to solutions. Infrastructure, investment, and diversification are part of that agenda, along side preserving Mexico’s strategic commercial relationship with the United States and strengthening connections with the Rio Grande Valley.

More regional sourcing means more opportunity

Durán also advocated greater domestic and regional content in manufacturing. She pointed to the opportunity for Mexico, the United States, and Canada to strengthen North American supply chains and improve their competitive position internationally.

For Texas manufacturers, that direction creates a reason to deepen relationships with industrial customers in Mexico. Mike Willis, executive director of the South Texas Manufacturers Association, described during another forum panel how Texas operations in metal stamping,i njection molding, plating, tooling, and machining connect with Mexican production. Durán’s call for stronger regional sourcing complements those existing manufacturing relationships.

The forum also connected INDEX’s industry priorities with organizations working on the practical requirements of growth. Victor Perez, president and CEO of Pharr EDC, highlighted support for companies exploring investment and warehouse space. Carlos Canseco, director of Querétaro’s logistics cluster CILQRO, discussed proposed comparative shipping trials to evaluate Pharr–Reynosa as an option for Mexican manufacturers.

Together, those perspectives show how industry representation, route planning, and local business support can contribute tothe same production network. Durán placed manufacturers’ requirements at the center of that effort: dependable crossings, workable procedures, and confidence to invest. Meeting those needs can help Texas and Mexico build more of their industrial future together.