Logistics Strategy and Performance Measurement: Mexico’s National Observatory for Transport and Logistics

Mexico has an effective transport and logistics sector that has provided the backbone for growth in the economy. Rapidly expanding trade requires improved performance to keep pace with demand. Good data will be needed to provide the evidence basis for efficient regulation and to underpin sometimes difficult reforms to improve performance. Marshalling this evidence will be the objective for the National Observatory for Transport and Logistics currently being established. Careful design of key performance indicators to leverage real improvement will be one of its most important tasks. 

Preparations for the Observatory have been thorough and a very large data set for potential collection has been identified. Ultimately the Observatory will become an important repository of data and analytical reports but complete coverage will take several years to achieve. 

In the short term, priorities need to be set and efforts focused on key areas where data could make a significant difference to policy-making. Priorities will be determined by data availability, the legislative agenda for regulatory reform and areas identified for attention by industry and forwarders - in particular in making decisions to use Mexico as a gateway to North American markets. This report was prepared to help set the priorities for its initial phase of development. The issues considered are common to all countries seeking to improve the evidence base for policy-making in the transport and logistics sector.

This report is part of the International Transport Forum’s Case-Specific Policy Analysis series. These are topical studies on specific issues carried out by the ITF in agreement with local institutions.