Laredo is recognized with the 2025 Gold Award
The City of Laredo has been honored with the 2025 Gold Award for Excellence in Economic Development by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for its innovative “Puerto Laredo: Keeping the World Moving” campaign.
The prestigious award, presented in the Promotion category, recognizes the highly successful 2024 initiative that cemented Laredo’s image as a titan of global trade. The campaign strategically positioned the city as the United States’ largest inland port and a critical nexus for international commerce.
This recognition coincides with a landmark achievement: in 2024, the Laredo Customs District solidified its status as the nation’s number one international commercial port. It processed over $339 billion in merchandise trade, reflecting a significant 5.98% increase from the previous year.
To achieve its goal, the multi-faceted campaign deployed billboards, bilingual messaging, a robust digital strategy, and targeted participation in international trade shows. The efforts proved immensely successful, reaching over 1.4 million people and generating thousands of online interactions within its first month alone.
The IEDC, the world’s largest professional association for economic developers based in Washington, D.C., bestows these awards to recognize projects that demonstrate a significant impact on economic development and enhance the global reach of cities.
The Laredo Economic Development Department, the agency that coordinated the award-winning campaign, focuses on initiatives designed to attract investment, expand employment opportunities, and support key strategic sectors such as logistics, advanced manufacturing, and tourism.
