1 of 4 Line of trucks stopped waiting to cross the MexicoUS border Photo: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Portal 2 of 4 Line of trucks on the road in Mexico Photo: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Portal 3 of 4 trucks waiting to cross the MexicoUS border Photo: Jose Luis Gonzalez 4 of 4 A line of trucks waiting to enter the USA Photo: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Portal
With a large number of immigrants, border officials need time to process trucks passing through
Trucks trying to enter the United States from Mexico lined up for miles on Wednesday (4). Local media said there were trucks lined up 20 kilometers long.
A logistics group said the value of the stopped goods was more than $1.5 billion (R$7.8 billion).
The line is the result of delays at US Customs. There are record numbers of immigrants at the border.
The US authorities closed the border crossings and introduced additional security controls.
Cargo processing has been temporarily suspended at some border points to allow customs officials to help process migrants arriving outside official border crossings.
Automobile transportation group Canacar expressed “deep concern” in a statement about Texas controls on trucks crossing the border with Mexico, reportedly preventing more than $1.5 billion worth of goods from entering the United States.
“This action triggered a crisis that resulted in closures, diversions, longer crossing times and significant reductions in export volumes of various products from Mexico to the United States,” Canacar said.
The group’s statement came a day after the Chihuahua state government said the cost of a sharp decline in trucks heading to the U.S. reached nearly $1 billion in about two weeks.
In addition to slowing trucks and trailers, thousands of rail cars also became stuck in recent days after border officials temporarily suspended processing at the International Rail Crossing Bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Some U.S.bound freight trains also experienced disruptions as a major Mexican freight train operator temporarily suspended operations after migrants died or were injured while jumping onto trains.
The measures prompted Mexico’s Foreign Ministry to call on U.S. authorities not to take “unilateral actions” that would further complicate trade.