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In 2012, the Obama administration’s Mexican cross-border three-year pilot project got into full swing, but a federal court challenge and a lack of widespread interest among Mexican motor carriers continued to threaten the program’s success.

Customs officials from the United States and Mexico said they will soon open a facility in Tijuana, Mexico, that will expand inspection capabilities for trucks entering the United States and combine export and import operations.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mexico continues to become an increasingly desirable manufacturing and freight market for reasons ranging from more competitive labor costs to improved transportation infrastructure, carriers and their customers agreed at an industry meeting here.

A growing economy and a global shift in manufacturing are spurring investment in Mexico’s freight transportation industry, according to a recent study that said there is a $68.4 billion market for trucking services in Mexico.

Enrique Peña Nieto won Mexico’s presidential election on July 1, returning the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party to power following a 12-year hiatus.

The Mexican government will tighten inspections and lower maximum allowed weights for freight trucks after protests over a string of fatal accidents involving double-trailer trucks, the Associated Press reported.

The federal government’s program allowing Mexican trucks into the country improperly exempts Mexican truckers from regulations concerning licenses, medical certification and drug testing, an advocacy group told a federal court last week.

The federal government defended its program allowing Mexican trucks into the United States, telling a court this month that the pilot program complies with all federal laws related to safety, environmental protection and driver licensing, in addition to the laws specific to the program itself.