Grupo Aduanal Forwarding

What Grupo Aduanal Forwarding does

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding Services Inc. (GAF) is a privately held Mexican-American customs brokerage and logistics company founded in March 1999 and headquartered across a dual-city axis of Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. The firm serves importers, exporters, and nearshoring manufacturers moving goods between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Its core service lines are (1) Agencia Aduanal — customs brokerage covering definitive/temporary imports and exports, pedimentos consolidados, virtual operations (V1), regime changes (F4), rectifications (R1), regularizations (A3), return of goods (V5), and permit consulting for SEMARNAT, COFEPRIS, CICOPLAFEST, SAGARPA, and PROFEFA; (2) Transporte — FTL freight on 40'/48' platforms and 48'/53' dry boxes, refrigerated units, low-boy equipment, plus 20'/40' maritime containers, consolidated cargo, and air freight; and (3) Comercializadora — a distribution center in Laredo, TX with inventory control, Haz-Mat handling, and importer/exporter obligations executed under Mexican customs law. The firm maintains operational presence at Mexico's key land and sea customs (Nuevo Laredo, Colombia bridge, Veracruz, Manzanillo) plus Mexico City airport and Pantaco operations, and covers nine US–Mexico border crossings and ten Mexican interior industrial cities.

Underlying technology is process automation rather than AI: a Sistema automatizado de control de inventarios (Anexo 24) for foreign-trade inventory control, real-time continuous cargo monitoring with status updates, and integrated document-processing software for customs and transport paperwork. GAF holds ISO 9001:2015 (updated from ISO 9001:2008), CTPAT, and OLA/OEA certifications and embeds dedicated in-house account executives at client facilities. Pricing is fully quote-based; revenue is generated through professional-services fees on customs brokerage transactions, transportation contracts, warehousing/storage, and distribution services. GTM is enterprise field sales: direct relationships with importers/exporters and nearshoring manufacturers, supported by a bilingual (English/Spanish) website and contact forms as the only identified digital channel. The company is privately held, has no disclosed investors, no funding rounds, no M&A history, and an estimated headcount in the 11–50 range.

Name

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding

Legal name

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding Services Inc.

Website

https://grupoaduanalfwd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding is a privately held Mexican-American customs brokerage and logistics company founded in 1999 that provides import/export clearance, multi-modal transportation, warehousing, and distribution services to importers, exporters, and nearshoring manufacturers moving goods between Mexico, the USA, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Laredo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Customs Brokerage Services: Comprehensive customs brokerage services including import and export processing, customs clearance, regime changes, rectifications, regularizations, and permit management for SEMARNAT, COFEPRIS, CICOPLAFEST, SAGARPA, PROPEFA.
2. Transportation and Logistics: FTL freight, maritime cargo, consolidated freight, direct service transportation using ground and air transport for shipments between Mexico, USA and Canada. Equipment includes 40'/48' platforms, 48'/53' dry boxes, refrigerated units, Low boy equipment.
3. Forwarding Services: Warehouse services, Haz-Mat handling, inventory control, customs tariff classification, cargo consolidation, storage and distribution, labeling, and in-bond management.
4. Commercialization and Distribution: Distribution center services in Laredo, TX with effective inventory control for efficient supply chain distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding is a customs brokerage and cross-border logistics company that processes import/export operations and moves freight between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Its core offerings are customs brokerage (Agencia Aduanal) covering pedimentos, regime changes, rectifications, permit management (SEMARNAT, COFEPRIS, CICOPLAFEST, SAGARPA, PROPEFA), and forwarding; transportation via FTL, maritime, consolidated, and air freight; and distribution/commercialization from a Laredo, TX distribution center with inventory control.

Product overview

Grupo Aduanal Forwarding is a logistics and customs brokerage company operating as a unified service platform with three core interconnected services: Customs Broker (Agencia Aduanal) handles import/export processing, permits, and customs clearance; Transportation (Transporte) manages FTL, maritime, consolidated, and air freight between Mexico, USA, and Canada; and Commercialization (Comercializadora) provides distribution and inventory control from their Laredo, TX distribution center. With over 23 years of experience, the company connects these services to offer end-to-end international trade solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agencia Aduanal (Customs Broker) Comprehensive customs brokerage service providing import and export processing between Mexico, USA, and Canada using advanced technology and trained personnel. Includes definitive and temporary imports/exports, fiscal deposits, pedimentos consolidados, virtual operations (V1), regime changes (F4), rectifications (R1), regularizations (A3), return of goods (V5), consulting for import permits (SEMARNAT, COFEPRIS, CICOPLAFEST, SAGARPA, PROPEFA), and forwarding services covering warehouse, Haz-Mat area, inventory control, customs tariff classification, freight consolidation, labeling, and in-bond management. Aimed at importers and exporters engaged in cross-border trade.
• Transporte (Transportation) Transportation and logistics service offering FTL (Full Truck Load) freight with 40'/48' platforms and 48'/53' dry boxes, refrigerated equipment, maritime freight with 20' and 40' containers, consolidated cargo, direct service, and air freight for shipments between Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Targeted at shippers needing cross-border ground, sea, and air transport.
• Comercializadora (Commercialization and Distribution) Distribution and commercialization service with a strategically located distribution center in Laredo, TX featuring effective inventory control for efficient supply chain distribution. Performs importer and exporter obligations based on customs law to deliver import and export services between Mexico, USA, and Canada. Designed for companies requiring warehouse-based inventory control and last-leg distribution from a U.S. border location.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dispatch times under 24 hours after complete receipt of documentation
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Transplace (Uber Freight): Large North American freight broker with deep cross-border Mexico-US capabilities and managed transportation services. Directly comparable to GAF in cross-border freight arrangement, but at materially greater scale and with a broader TMS technology stack.
• SEKO Logistics: Global forwarder with strong cross-border e-commerce and Mexico-US trade lanes, offering customs brokerage, warehousing, and transportation. Comparable to GAF on integrated cross-border services and nearshoring-oriented customer base.
• AIT Worldwide Logistics: Global forwarder with a dedicated Mexico cross-border product and customs brokerage at Laredo and other US-Mexico crossings. Directly comparable to GAF in integrated cross-border services for nearshoring and traditional shippers, with a similar mid-size profile but global network.
• Logistics Plus: US-based global logistics provider with a dedicated Mexico cross-border division offering customs brokerage, trucking, and warehousing. Comparable mid-size player to GAF on cross-border service mix and nearshoring customer base.

Broad incumbents

• C.H. Robinson: One of the largest North American freight brokers and 3PLs with significant Mexico cross-border operations (NAFTA/Mexico cross-border division). Overlaps with GAF in customs brokerage and cross-border forwarding, but operates as a broad incumbent across all modes and lanes.
• DHL Global Forwarding: World's largest air and ocean freight forwarder with a dedicated Mexico cross-border product. Comparable on customs brokerage, multi-modal forwarding, and warehousing, but at a vastly larger scale with global technology and procurement leverage.
• Expeditors International: Global forwarder with strong Mexico-US cross-border road freight and customs brokerage capabilities. Overlaps with GAF in customs clearance, multi-modal forwarding, and nearshoring-related flows, but as a publicly listed global incumbent.

Others

• Kuehne+Nagel:

Regional players

• Trans-Kin Cargo: Mexican logistics and freight forwarding company specializing in cross-border trucking and customs between Mexico and the US. Closest like-for-like competitor in geography, services, and mid-market segment, though more trucking-weighted than GAF's full-service brokerage model.
• Grupo Senda (TUM Logistics): Major Mexican transportation and logistics group with cross-border trucking and customs services between Mexico and the US. Comparable to GAF as a Mexican-based competitor serving cross-border flows, though at a larger scale and more trucking-weighted.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GAFS_Inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/GAFWD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupo-aduanal-forwarding-services-inc-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grupo Aduanal Forwarding