{"id":72938,"date":"2026-01-20T15:10:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/?post_type=press&p=72938"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:21:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T21:21:03","slug":"shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/en-au\/press\/shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves\/","title":{"rendered":"Borderlands Mexico: Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshaping shipping strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Noi Mahoney for FreightWaves<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week, Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshape retail shipping strategies; Cainiao launches U.S.\u2013Mexico cross-border logistics service; and Speedora launches white-glove logistics service in Arizona.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshape retail shipping strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As tariffs fluctuate and shipping costs climb, retailers are increasingly turning to technology, multi-carrier strategies and greater price transparency to protect margins and customers, according to Josh Steinitz, chief strategy officer at ShipStation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCustomer expectations are high and always getting higher, and that hasn\u2019t changed despite all of the thrash in the shipping environment,\u201d Steinitz said. \u201cSpeed, service and transparency are still key differentiators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin, Texas-based Shipstation, powered by Auctane, is a global company focused on providing e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions for businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMBs diversify carriers to manage risk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ShipStation, which works with hundreds of thousands of small- and medium-sized merchants (SMBs), is seeing customers move away from reliance on a single carrier or static rate card. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, merchants are increasingly adopting diversified carrier mixes, regional providers and rate-shopping tools to regain control over shipping costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMerchants are needing to take the wheel a little more of their own shipping destiny,\u201d Steinitz said. \u201cThat means using automation and analytics to optimize their carrier mix and manage risk instead of relying on one provider.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross-border complexity remains a major hurdle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International shipping remains one of the biggest challenges for smaller retailers, particularly as tariffs and customs rules change frequently. Steinitz said many SMBs lack the resources that large enterprises use to manage duties, taxes, currency conversion and customs brokerage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHistorically, it\u2019s been very hard for the average small or medium business to sell globally,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have massive software teams or the volumes needed to justify custom solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To address that, ShipStation has been investing in tools designed to simplify cross-border commerce, including delivery-duties-paid (DDP) capabilities that allow customers to see full landed costs at checkout. Steinitz said transparency is critical to driving conversion and reducing abandoned carts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I don\u2019t know what the total cost is to get the item to my front door, I\u2019m just not going to buy it,\u201d he said. \u201cSurprise duties or fees kill conversion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margin protection is about \u201cbest value,\u201d not just lowest cost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While slower shipping is often cheaper, Steinitz cautioned that lowest cost isn\u2019t always the best strategy. Instead, ShipStation is helping merchants focus on what he described as \u201cbest value\u201d \u2014 balancing speed, cost and customer expectations to maximize overall efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes offering a slightly faster, slightly more expensive service is actually better because it drives higher conversion,\u201d he said. \u201cIt depends on the product and the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He compared the tradeoff to everyday consumer behavior: shoppers may pay a premium for urgent items but wait longer for nonessential purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adapting to a volatile trade environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steinitz acknowledged that policy shifts, including changes to de minimis rules and ongoing tariff disputes, have forced many carriers and retailers to rethink their networks. Some cross-border sellers, particularly those shipping from China to the U.S., have responded by investing in domestic fulfillment as regulations tighten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTariffs aren\u2019t a good thing for the world,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what we can do is make the complexity easier for merchants to navigate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take control, or fall behind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For retailers facing continued uncertainty in 2026, Steinitz said the biggest mistake is passivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t rely on a single carrier, a single rate card, or a single service,\u201d he said. \u201cThink of shipping as a portfolio and use software to constantly ensure you\u2019re getting the best price, best service and best customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As volatility becomes a permanent feature of global trade, retailers that invest in flexibility, transparency and automation are more likely to protect margins \u2014 and customer loyalty \u2014 in the year ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article continued on FreightWaves<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Noi Mahoney for FreightWaves Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week, Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshape retail shipping strategies; Cainiao launches U.S.\u2013Mexico cross-border logistics service; and Speedora launches white-glove logistics service in Arizona. Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshape retail […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":61704,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-72938","press","type-press","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBorderlands Mexico: Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshaping shipping strategies - ShipStation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As tariffs fluctuate and shipping costs climb, retailers are increasingly turning to technology, multi-carrier strategies and greater price transparency to protect margins and customers, according to Josh Steinitz, Chief Strategy Officer at ShipStation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/press\/shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Borderlands Mexico: Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshaping shipping strategies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As tariffs fluctuate and shipping costs climb, retailers are increasingly turning to technology, multi-carrier strategies and greater price transparency to protect margins and customers, according to Josh Steinitz, Chief Strategy Officer at ShipStation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/press\/shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ShipStation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ShipStation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T21:21:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/img-ss-News.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"812\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"496\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@shipstation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipstation.com\\\/press\\\/shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.shipstation.com\\\/press\\\/shipstation-borderlands-mexico-freightwaves\\\/\",\"name\":\"Borderlands Mexico: Volatile trade, rising carrier costs reshaping shipping strategies - 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