The major changes in North America’s hinterlands, namely the decline of the
industrial belt (which has been monitored for decades) and the industrialization of
the ‘‘sun belt,’’ are long-term shifts that are reflected in the gradual reorientation of
the traffic. NAFTA also favors the setting of natural gateways and corridors, i.e.
Fig. 10.7 Main gateway systems and corridors of Europe
10 Containerized Freight Distribution in North America and Europe 233through Canada (in particular Vancouver and Montreal) and Mexico (Lazero
Cardenas) and a reorientation of traffic flows (Brooks 2008). This trend is, however,
dwarfed by the restructuring taking place in Europe and its impacts on freight flows.