Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s rule of doubling checks on commercial trucks arriving from Mexico has caused a delay that has cost the United States nearly $ 9 billion in gross domestic product, according to an analysis.
Driving the news: The rule, which Abbott has repealed since then, has provoked a fierce reaction and delayed cross-border traffic for days.
Catch up fast: Abbott, a Republican, has ordered state troops to carry out additional inspections of commercial trucks in response to the Biden administration’s announcement that it will repeal Title 42, a public health policy from the pandemic era of rapid expulsions of migrants at the border. end Maybe.
- Abbott claims that drug cartels use commercial vehicles to transport people and drugs to the United States.
- Reaction to the policy increased last week as additional inspections caused massive delays and led to truck protests.
- The abbot revoked his order on Friday after reaching an agreement with all four neighboring Mexican states.
In figures: Between April 6 and 15 – when the rule came into force – the United States lost approximately $ 8.97 billion due to border delays, according to an analysis by the Texas-based Perryman Group.
- Texas has lost approximately $ 4.23 billion in gross product, the group found.
- The estimates are based on a study conducted by the Perryman Group in 2019, which examines the effects of various border delays, but updated to reflect the current situation, said Axios President and CEO Ray Periman in an email.
- The Dallas Morning News was the first to report that Texas was losing approximately $ 477 million a day during the delay.
Abbott spokesman Rene Ez defended the inspections, saying the average 5-hour delay they caused was “hardly equivalent to President Biden’s 15-month delay in securing our border.”
- She said Abbott had negotiated agreements with the governors of every Mexican state bordering Texas. The agreements require them to increase their own security efforts.
- “Border managers are at the forefront of border issues, and it’s time for President Biden and Congress to step up and do their job to secure our border,” Eze said.
Between the lines: Mexico is one of the largest trading partners of the United States and the largest supplier of agricultural products.
- The United States relies on a complex but relatively rapid system of southern border checks, usually conducted by federal authorities to cross goods.
- According to government data, the United States imported nearly $ 34 billion worth of agricultural products in 2020.
What to watch: Periman said he would release a more detailed breakdown of his analysis later this week.
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