US-Mexico Trade Hits Record, FMCSA Suspends Enforcement, & ICE CDL Fraud Tip Line | The Morning Minute

0:00We kick things off with a massive milestone in cross-border commerce. US Mexico trade reached a record $94.8 billion in July, the highest monthly total on record, according to US Census Bureau data analyzed by World City. Two-way trade between the US and Mexico jumped 27.5% from $74.3 billion in the same month last year. Mexico now accounts for nearly 18% of total US international trade, firmly holding its position as America's number one trading partner ahead of Canada at number two and China at number three. Laredo, Texas retained its crown as the nation's busiest international trade gateway, handling $36.9 billion in two-way commerce during July, up nearly 22% year over year. Meanwhile, federal regulators are giving carriers some breathing room during a major technology transition. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has temporarily suspended enforcement of its biennial update requirement and stopped inactivating US DOT numbers when registrants miss those

1:02filings. The relief covers deadlines falling on or after June 1st, 2026, and will remain in place until further notice. FMCSA introduced the change while registrants transitioned to its new motor system, which the agency launched May 19th. Officials want to reduce service disruptions during the migration. Businesses covered by the relief do not need to submit overdue biennial updates immediately, and their US DOT numbers will remain active despite missed deadlines. The FMCSA will provide advance warning before restarting enforcement actions. Finally, the Federal Government's aggressive crackdown on alleged CDL fraud is now enlisting the public for help. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched a tip line for reporting suspected commercial driver's license fraud. People with information about suspected CDL fraud can submit tips by calling their tip line. This comes shortly after federal officials announced the emergency removal of more than 110 commercial driver training schools from a federal registry.

2:03Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated those 110 schools accounted for 5,000 English language proficiency violations. HSI said it had already received more than 1,000 leads involving CDL-related businesses, suspected of unsafe practices. Investigators were examining for potential CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity document fraud, money laundering, possible connections to human smuggling, drug trafficking, and cartel activity.