Mesa Gateway nearing deal to screen online purchases headed to Mexico

PHOENIX — Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was nearing a deal Tuesday that would see the facility become the place for Mexican Customs officials to screen online purchases heading south of the border.

“We’re excited. We’re in the middle of the process right now with U.S. Customs and Mexican Customs and also with a master developer proposal out at Mesa-Gateway Airport,” Mesa Mayor John Giles, who also sits on the airport’s board of directors, said.

“If things come together — and it looks like they’re headed in a good direction — Gateway Airport will become the hub for e-commerce between the United States and Mexico.”

Under the trial agreement, all online purchases from Amazon and other companies would be screened at the airport before being shipped to any airport in Mexico.

“There’s a growing middle class in Mexico that’s anxious to participate in e-commerce,” Giles said.

The mayor said the facility cannot only handle the demand but has plenty of room to grow.

“The Mesa Gateway Airport is really perfectly situated for this,” he said. “We’re not on the border, but we’re not far from the border, and, because it’s a former Air Force base, we’ve got … the same runways as Sky Harbor, which are excellent for international cargo and we’ve got a lot of developable property.”

Giles also pointed out that the airport is located just off the southern potion of the Loop 202.

“The infrastructure for the airport and the location of the airport are really perfectly suited for this proposal,” he said.

Should the agreement go through, Giles said it would be another piece of evidence that economic ties to Mexico are important to Arizona’s economy.

“I think this is a reflection of how important trade between Mexico and Arizona has been, historically,” he said. “This is just acknowledging that and maybe taking it to another level.”

KTAR News’ Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.

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