Inspections of freight trucks crossing into Texas, which began four weeks ago, have ended. However, the National Chamber of Freight Transport (CANACAR) expects the backlog of goods in transit to the United States to return to normal within three weeks.
““It has been very complicated weeks for our sector and for trade between Mexico and the United States,” Miguel Angel Martinez Millan, head of the private sector organization, admitted at a conference.
He pointed out that four weeks ago the Texas government decided to conduct comprehensive reviews of cargo trucks crossing into that state of the American Union, but it became clear on Tuesday that the said reviews were no longer being conducted in Cordoba Las Vegas. Crossings: Americas, Guadalupe-Tornillo, Zaragoza-Ysleta, and Colombia-Solidaridad-Laredo in Nuevo León.
Manuel Sotelo Suarez, vice president of the northern region of Canacar, commented that at least at the Ciudad Juarez crossing, 24,570 trucks carrying goods worth $2,600 million were stopped, an amount that does not represent a loss.
He pointed out that the damage to transporters in Juarez alone amounted to $7.5 million.
He stated that some exports had to cross the border via other bridges such as Nogales or Laredo, but also by air.
““In the next three weeks, if this continues without reviews, we will make good progress for both what is generated every day in exports and what is left behind,” Sotelo Suarez said.
““From Canacar we continue to make representations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, the Government of Texas, the Government of Chihuahua and other leaders to move forward in this crisis,” Martinez Millan said.
Trade between Mexico and Texas reached $231 billion in 2021 and trade between the two countries generated 400,000 jobs.
“He pointed out that for our sector, the dialogue with the Governor of Texas is of utmost importance and we renew our firm conviction to maintain relations with various actors in this state for the benefit of the strategic relationship.
President Kanakar expressed confidence that these types of reviews will not happen again, given that the process of relocation of companies is underway and although there are alternatives for export transit. “We are concerned that this will not happen again,” he added.
Kanakar considered it inhumane for cargo truck drivers to spend long hours waiting in light of the hot climate prevailing in the northern region, but he stressed that they remained waiting to cross the border.
Martinez Milan indicated that there is a risk that this could happen again, given the proximity of the elections in the United States, but he considered that immigration – the origin of the reviews – is a separate issue from the trade issue.
“The Mexican government’s intervention was decisive in resolving this issue. “President Andrés Manuel López Obrador sent a diplomatic note to the United States and we are convinced that it was a very important means to be able to achieve the solution in this way,” the Canakar leader said.
He pointed out that immigration is not a problem specific to the northern border, but rather a problem for the entire country, which is why they are creating a working group with the private sector to find solutions.
