Freighters are panicking about the consequences of the delays, as much of US production at this time of year is imported from Mexico. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said last week that “improved security inspections” of all commercial vehicles were necessary because he insisted that federal officials did not prevent drugs and criminals from entering the United States. Now, say truck officials, few enter the country. “This is not a regional issue or that the city of Laredo does not supply its groceries,” said John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association. “We are seeing delays that will be felt throughout the country. There are half a dozen truck parts [affected]. “There is the refrigerated truck segment, there is household goods, forestry, tanker fuel, merchandise goods – these are General Motors, Ford and anything from Mexico, our trading partner.” Texas will transport immigrants to the state capital, Abbott says Strawberries, asparagus, avocados, tomatoes and other spring favorites sit in rows of refrigerated trucks for miles, as growers and shippers struggle to change course, and grocery stores rush to find products elsewhere to avoid empty shelves. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that “unnecessary and unnecessary” truck inspections by Abbott at ports of entry between Texas and Mexico have disrupted food and car supply chains, delayed construction, affected construction and affected construction. further increased prices for American families. He said the trucks are experiencing long delays of more than 5 hours at some border crossings and traffic has been reduced by up to 60%. “The continuous flow of legal trade and travel and the ability of the Customs and Border Protection to do its job should not be hindered,” Psaki said. “Governor Abbott’s actions affect the jobs of the people and the livelihoods of working American families.” Abbott moved last week to impose new border restrictions, claiming the Biden administration had “open border policies” that “paved the way for dangerous cartels and deadly drugs to be poured into the United States.” He said Texas “will immediately start taking unprecedented action to do what no state in American history has done to secure our borders,” meaning any trucks will be inspected by the Texas Department of Public Safety for marketing. people, weapons, drugs and other smuggling. The governor’s plan to ask government officials to inspect each truck means that up to 80% of perishable fruits and vegetables cannot pass through Friday, said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. That causes millions of dollars in losses a day for inactive employers and employees, he said, with customers unable to load the product from their suppliers in Texas. It also means that shortages in transportation are increasing as available trucks are stuck in line to cross the border, which will continue to push up the price of products in US grocery stores. Biden accuses Abbott of “government exaggeration” for searching for parents of children in transition “These trucks have already been inspected by Customs and Border Protection – they were scanned and smelled of X-rays and drug dogs,” said Jungmeyer. “These new inspections are unnecessary. “In many ports of entry, Laredo, Pharr, Eagle Pass and others, Mexican drivers are starting to protest.” Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The line for trucks to cross the Pharr Bridge has been reported to be up to 7 or 8 miles long, said Rod Sbragia, vice president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas and director of sales and marketing for Tricar Sales, producer and loader. of Mexican production. He said somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 trucks were standing in line waiting for entry. Truck refrigerators, he said, have about six or seven days of fuel to operate their refrigeration units. After that, the alteration is certain. Sbragia said nothing had crossed the Texas border in the past three days and that the trucks were so full that there was no way they could cross the line so they could change course. He says many workers in Texas are not paid right now because there is no product to work with and no truck to load and unload. “We have about $ 200,000 to $ 300,000 worth of products waiting in line right now,” he said. “And we are just a sender. There are hundreds like me. “A product worth millions of dollars sitting in trucks that could end up broken.” The situation is fluid, said Laura Garza, logistics specialist for K&K International Logistics, a customs broker in charge of traffic operations in Texas. But for now, he said, Mexican truckers have blocked traffic north or south of the Pharr Bridge, the No. 1 bridge for imports into the United States, leading to and from Reynosa, Mexico, in protest. which usually sees around 2,000 truck crossings a day. Traffic is also heading north on the Los Indios Free Trade Bridge, an international border crossing eight miles south of Harlingen and San Benito. Mexico ban on avocados can cause bruises, as long as it continues Transport companies say, “If this takes 30 days, we can take another 30 days to protest.” You will lose contracts and crops. Why affect trade in this way? It makes no sense. “Border communities are dependent on trade,” he said. Matt Mandel is the vice president of finance for his family’s company, which grows and exports Mexican fruits and vegetables. Heard about the new inspections on Friday. Heading out of town, he hoped it would be over by the end of the weekend. “But the issues have gotten worse and the consequences have gotten worse,” he said. “And I do not see an easy solution to alleviate the infection we are in.” His company sells 60 percent of its production in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere in the Northeast. The rest go to Canada. He had three trucks due to leave on Friday and it is not clear, he said, when they could reach their final destination. “We will not know if we have losses until this product reaches the supply chain. “When I have my name on an eggplant and it ends up looking and tasting like crap, people remember that,” he said. “Eventually there will be alteration and higher costs for all involved. “It’s literally just partisan politics.”
