Mexico City, Mexico
Reuters
The costs of spiking migration for a key Mexican border state due to a sharp downturn in US-bound cargo trucks total nearly $US1 billion over about two weeks, state officials said Tuesday, as authorities in both countries struggle with the latest surge.
The state government of Chihuahua announced in a statement that its trade-dependent economy lost more than $US947 million between 18th September and 2nd October, blaming a “migrant crisis” for preventing the usual flow of goods from crossing into the United States.
Migrants travel on a train with the intention of reaching the United States, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on 3rd October, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez
Chihuahua borders the US states of Texas and New Mexico, both of which host major points of entry crucial for trade between the two neighbours.
Just on Monday, the Chihuahua government said related losses totaled about $US77 million.
“These impacts stem from the migrant crisis caused by the arrival of thousands of people [crossing through the state],” according to the statement, which also criticized Mexico’s federal government for not taking “any action” to mitigate the losses.
Chihuahua’s government is led by a governor who represents a centre-right opposition political party.
The losses follow a decision by US authorities to increase border security checks that have also caused trade delays.
Like many US officials, Mexico’s top diplomat has also described surging migration as a “crisis” situation.
Earlier this month, some US-bound cargo trains were also disrupted when a major Mexican freight rail operator temporarily suspended operations after migrants died or got hurt by jumping on the trains.
In a separate estimate of border disruptions, about 8,000 trailers carrying an estimated $US1 billion worth of goods have been stranded on the Mexican side over the past few weeks, a transport association representative in Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican border city in Chihuahua, said at the time.
