Truck drivers from Mexico blockaded bridges at the U.S. border for a second day on Tuesday, Reuters reports, to protest an order by the Texas governor meant to increase safety inspections that slowed down traffic and caused concern over further supply chain disruption.
In a statement, Mexico’s government said it rejects the inspections imposed by Texas and estimates that two-thirds of normal trade was being held up, having a significant effect on revenue for both U.S. and Mexican businesses.
Reuters reports the slowdowns started after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered officials to conduct vehicle safety inspections at entry ports to uncover smuggling of people and contraband last week.
One Mexican driver protested at the Santa Teresa bridge that connects San Jeronimo, Chihuahua, to Santa Teresa, New Mexico. He said it took him 17 hours to cross into the U.S. and return. The bridge marks the third one in the Ciudad Juarez-El Paso area to be blocked by drivers who have seen their pay decrease since lengthy wait times began last week, the article said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a fact sheet about the commercial traffic delays along the Texas border and the resulting supply chain disruptions on Tuesday.
“Trucks are facing lengthy delays along the Texas-Mexico border, with wait times at some border crossings exceeding five hours and commercial traffic dropping by as much as 60%. The longer than average wait times – and the subsequent supply chain disruptions – are unrelated to CBP screening activities and are due to additional and unnecessary inspections being conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) at the order of the Governor of Texas,” CBP reports in the fact sheet.
Local trade associations, officials and businesses are requesting the Texas state government discontinue their additional border truck inspection process because it is not necessary to protect the safety and security of Texas communities and is resulting in significant impacts to local supply chains that will impact consumers and businesses nationally, CBP explained.
“These unnecessary inspections are occurring when vehicles exit U.S. ports of entry within the El Paso and Laredo areas of operation after being comprehensively inspected and cleared to enter the United States by CBP. As a result, vehicles have been significantly delayed in exiting the federal inspection plaza, leading to traffic disruptions and critical impacts to an already-strained supply chain,” CBP said in the fact sheet.
Traffic at a fourth bridge connecting Reynosa to Pharr, Texas, was also halted on Tuesday by drivers who parked their trucks and began barbecuing on the Mexican side of the port of entry, Reuters reports.
Mexico’s National Chamber of Freight Transportation estimated the delays at the Pharr bridge alone caused economic losses of $8 million per day and called on Abbott to withdraw the order to prevent a collapse in international cross-border trade,” Reuters reports.
Mexico is Critical Market for U.S. Pork Exports
U.S. pork had record tonnage in exports to Mexico, up 27% in 2021. U.S. pork also boasted record value, shipping $1.6 billion in pork to Mexico last year.
“When I look at that Mexico chart, it’s like an infinite growth curve chart,” said Brett Stuart, economist and co-founder of Global Agri-Trends, earlier this year. “It just keeps going higher and higher, just when I think it’s maybe stalling out.”
Read More:
How Convenience Store Snacks and TikTok are Heating Up U.S. Pork Sales to Mexico
2021 Surprised Us, What’s Ahead for 2022 U.S. Pork Exports?
U.S. Pork Producers Snag Record-High Export Value of $61 Per Hog in 2021
