El Paso Border Delays Cost Juarez $32 Million Per Day in Economic Losses
Texas Department of Public Safety's comprehensive safety inspections wreaking havoc on border crossings
Industry officials in Juarez, Mexico claim commercial truck delays at the El Paso border crossings are costing them up to $32 million a day.
The congestion began on Saturday when the Texas Department of Public Safety reinstated comprehensive safety inspections for all trucks entering from Mexico through the Ysleta port of entry and the Bridge of the Americas.
Thor Salayandia, representing the Mexican Chamber of Industry, expressed frustration with the situation after hundreds of trucks loaded with parts and goods destined for the U.S. were left stuck at the border crossings or forced to return to factories.
“We don’t know when this is going to end. There are no indications of what comes next,” he said at a news conference Monday in Juarez.
“We have plenty of merchandise to bring across, but we cannot bring it. It affects both countries because the goods don’t get to you guys, either.”
Truck drivers are particularly hard-hit, facing economic losses and delays of six to eight hours in their vehicles. “Usually, we make three trips. But today, I won’t be able to come back with another load,” trucker Martin Campos told Border Report. “If we go back (to the factory in Juarez) too late, they will just send us home. That hits all of us in the pocketbook. There is no commercial movement (at Ysleta). […] We have plenty of merchandise to bring across, but we cannot bring it. It affects both countries because the goods don’t get to you guys, either.”
On Saturday, Campos spent seven hours waiting to cross into the U.S. with a load of appliances. By Monday, he opted for a 30-mile detour to Tornillo, Texas, which only took 25 minutes to cross.
Industry leaders like Salayandia urge the U.S. and Mexico to address the mass migration issues that led Texas to reinstate these disruptive inspections. They stress the need for both nations to find lasting solutions to the migrant crisis that is now affecting regional commerce.
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