The Anzalduas International Trade Bridge joins the McAllen-Mission MSA with Reynosa, Tamaulipas, allowing direct access to the Federal Highway 40 “Autopista” which connects Reynosa to shoppers in Monterrey and Mexico’s interior. The Rio Grande Valley has always depended heavily on cross-border trade. The new Anzalduas International Trade Bridge crossing offers a quicker and safer route for shoppers to travel. By cutting travel time, it has become the most efficient way for traffic from northern Mexico to reach the U.S., thereby increasing the number of affluent Mexican shoppers that cross over into Mission and the Rio Grande Valley each day.

The economic impact of Mexican nationals who cross into the U.S. for shopping is significant. Many national retailers report that their Rio Grande Valley locations generate some of the highest sales per square foot in their entire portfolios.

These Mexican national shoppers account for $3.0 billion annually in retail spending along the Texas-Mexico border. Shoppers from Mexico exhibit a high level of brand loyalty and are both price and quality conscious. They have particularly favorable views of U.S. products in terms of technological advancement, price competitiveness, high quality and retail choices.