The delays have raised concerns that a U.S. economy already experiencing inflation and supply shortages could face an entirely new set of problems, potentially driving up prices on certain products and making other items even more scare.
Freight operators are panicking about the ramifications of the delays, as much of the United States’ produce this time of year is imported from Mexico. Abbott said last week that the “enhanced safety inspections” of all commercial vehicles were necessary because federal officials were not stopping drugs and criminals from entering the United States. Now, trucking officials say, little is entering the country at all.
“This isn’t a regional issue, or that the city of Laredo is not getting their produce at grocery stores,” said John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association. “We are seeing delays that will be felt across the country. There are a half a dozen divisions of trucking [affected]. There’s the refrigerated segment of trucking, there’s household goods, forestry, fuel tankers, commodities for trade goods — this is about General Motors, Ford and everything coming out of Mexico, our trade partner.”
Strawberries, asparagus, avocados, tomatoes and other spring favorites are sitting in lines of refrigerated trucks many miles long as growers and shippers scramble to reroute and grocers hustle to find products from elsewhere to avoid empty shelves in the run-up to the Easter and Passover holidays.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Abbott’s “unnecessary and redundant” inspections of trucks at ports of entry between Texas and Mexico have disrupted food and automobile supply chains, delayed manufacturing, affected jobs and further raised prices for American families. She said that trucks are facing delays exceeding five hours at some border crossings and that commercial traffic has dropped by as much as 60 percent.
“The continuous flow of legitimate trade and travel and Customs and Border Protection’s ability to do its job should not be obstructed,” Psaki said. “Governor Abbott’s actions are impacting people’s jobs and the livelihoods of hard-working American families.”
CBP issued its own statement, saying that delays have become extreme. It said the commercial wait time at the Pharr port of entry had grown from 63 minutes to 320 minutes, with a 35 percent drop in traffic. The Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, which typically averages a 26-minute wait, had “reached a peak wait of 300 minutes and has seen over a 60% drop in commercial traffic.”
Abbott is expected to hold a news conference on the matter later on Wednesday. He moved last week to impose the new restrictions, alleging that the Biden administration had “open-border policies” that “paved the way for dangerous cartels and deadly drugs to pour into the United States.”
He said Texas “will immediately begin taking unprecedented action to do what no state has done in American history to secure our border,” which means each truck will be inspected by the Texas Department of Public Safety for human trafficking, weapons, drugs and other contraband.
The governor’s plan to have state officials scrutinize each truck means that up to 80 percent of perishable fruits and vegetables have been unable to cross since Friday, said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.
This is causing losses of millions of dollars a day for employers and…
Read More: White House, truckers blast Tex. as inspections snarl Mexico traffic
