Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has spread his policy of tightening checks on trucks entering Texas from Mexico, a week after implementing a policy that led Mexican truck drivers to block border bridges in protest and hold back supplies. of food to the United States as a result.
He reversed on Friday night after a week of growing reaction and fear of deepening economic losses.
Abbott, a Republican, said he had reached an agreement with officials from four neighboring Mexican states, including Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas, to improve border security, thus eliminating controversial policies that were part of his intensified efforts. against people and drug trafficking, he said.
“As we speak at the moment, all these bridges are open again for normal traffic. “So all the goods that used to go from one country to another at a very fast pace are moving at that fast pace as we talk right now,” Abbott told a news conference on Friday.
“If we see an increase [illegal] traffic across the border, we will strategically close certain bridges, “he warned.
Some truck drivers report waiting more than 30 hours to cross. Others blocked one of the world’s busiest trade bridges in protest.
The abbot, who will be re-elected in November and made the border his main problem, has completely canceled inspections.
The latest cross-border dispute settlement agreement was signed with the governor of Tamaulipas, who said earlier this week that the inspections were too diligent and created chaos.
On Friday, he joined Abbott and said they were ready to work together.
When Abbott first ordered the inspections, he did not say their removal depended on similar arrangements with Mexico.
Last week, he ordered state authorities to conduct “enhanced security checks” on vehicles crossing into Texas from Mexico in what he described as intensified efforts against human trafficking and smuggling across the US-Mexico border.
The governor said his new policy “sends a message to both the president and Congress: Texas is tired of being a dock for unloading illegal immigrants crossing the border.”
However, shortly after the policy was introduced, many Mexican truck drivers blocked border bridges in response, as many condemned the policy.
Although 25% of the vehicles inspected were removed from the roads as a result of defective brakes and other malfunctions, drivers and business groups say the policy has clogged traffic at entry ports and disrupted the supply chain.
“I pay the same, whether I need an hour or 10 hours to cross, so this affects us a lot,” said Mexican truck driver Raimundo Galicia, noting that he and his colleagues will head for more bridges if the delays continue. .
According to the Texas International Production Association (Tipa), fruits and vegetables worth about $ 150 million have been stopped at the border, including lime, tomatoes, cucumbers and mangoes.
“This Easter weekend, consumers will see store shelves devoid of certain items,” said Tipa CEO Dante Galeazzi, adding that the Midwest and East Coast are likely to be short of food first.
Earlier this week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller warned that the policy and the subsequent blockade would lead to higher food prices, which would likely raise avocado prices to $ 5 apiece.
“Some retailers, especially those in the food industry, have experienced delays in the supply chain as a result of extended waiting times on the Texas-Mexico border,” John McCord, executive director of the Texas Retailers Association, told Bloomberg. .
The White House condemned Abbott’s policy, saying it had led to “significant” disruptions in supply chains.
Earlier this month, Abbott announced he would send undocumented migrants from the southern border to Washington.
The announcement was met with bipartisan criticism, prompting Abbott to soften his plan, as he later clarified that any transportation from Texas would be entirely voluntary and would take place only after the person was processed by the US Department of Homeland Security for US release. .
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