Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Mexican Consul Jesús Cano said commercial missions that bring producers and business representatives to the Rio Grande Valley provide direct access to the information needed to pursue cross-border trade while strengthening economic ties between Mexico and the United States.
Cano spoke during a commercial mission in Pharr, organized by the City of Pharr and Pharr EDC and led by Victor Perez, President and CEO, in coordination with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Mexican producers attended presentations and received guidance on requirements for entering the U.S. market.
Cano said commercial missions allow producers interested in exporting to learn directly about regulations, procedures and requirements on the U.S. side of the border.
The Mexican Consulate serves as a liaison between the two countries and works with strategic regional partners to help facilitate those connections, he said.
Cano said one of the principal benefits is giving businesspeople an opportunity to speak directly with officials and specialists and obtain answers to questions that may be difficult to resolve through online research alone.
The relationship, however, is not limited to helping Mexican companies enter the United States.
Cano described cross-border commerce as a two-way road, with Mexican producers seeking opportunities in the U.S. market while American businesses and investors pursue opportunities in Mexico.
He pointed to a commercial mission earlier this year as an example. In March, Rio Grande Valley businesspeople traveled to Cancún, Mexico, to explore opportunities there.
The producers participating in the Pharr mission were primarily from the agricultural sector, with most coming from Zacatecas and others from San Luis Potosí, Cano said.
Their visit comes as Pharr continues expanding its role in international commerce.
Cano said Pharr has developed into a major commercial hub and compared its growing trade activity with Laredo, one of the country’s leading border trade gateways.
He said continued growth in cross-border commerce makes facilities and initiatives that connect businesses with government agencies, educational institutions and economic development organizations increasingly important.
Cano also brings extensive regional experience. He arrived in McAllen in 2021 as an attached consul and has served as acting consul since November 2025.
It is his second assignment in McAllen. Cano previously served in the area from 2003 to 2009 before assignments in Mexico City, Saudi Arabia and Canada.
His return places him in a region where growing trade and investment continue to increase interaction between businesses on both sides of the border.
Cano said the Mexican Consulate is available to assist people interested in investing in Mexico as well as businesses seeking information about export opportunities.
The objective, he said, is to provide guidance and connect businesses with the appropriate resources as commercial relationships between Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley continue to develop.
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