Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
National trade has been severely affected by the temporary closure of the Cordova-America International Bridge, as not even half of the trips crossing to El Paso from Juarez have crossed the border.
The closure of the crossing was announced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), triggering a series of losses and complications that affect the border economy.
Manuel Sotelo Suárez, vice-president of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (CANACAR), indicated to Circuito Frontera that the effects on carriers have been severe, since out of the three thousand exports and three thousand imports that the city used to carry out daily, not even half of them have been able to cross.
He mentioned that this Tuesday the crossings have remained slow, as the Zaragoza International Bridge was only working at a minimum capacity, since out of 200 trailers that must cross daily, only 8 had crossed by 2:00 in the afternoon.
“We also have the Zaragoza bridge closed. In the last hour 8 trailers with exports have crossed when 200 trailers should cross per hour, that is caused by the revisions. So today the Guadalupe-Tornillo crossing is already being used and logically that is also using San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa.
This closure, which took place on Saturday, September 16, generated a series of challenges and concerns that are intensifying as the days go by. Although the effects have not yet reached their peak, it is expected that as the week progresses, complications may increase.
This Monday morning, the Córdova-Américas international crossing remained empty of cargo, while other crossings, such as Zaragoza-Ysleta, experienced unusual saturation.
Even the San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa crossing, which is usually clear due to its remoteness, was affected by the influx of vehicles.
He said that carriers have the option of using the Zaragoza-Ysleta, San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa or Guadalupe-Tornillo crossings on the usual days and schedules, although they also had an inconvenience since Monday night when the nationwide customs system failed.
“The strong loss is for the industry that is domiciled, not only in Ciudad Juarez but in the whole region, in the whole state and in the south of Chihuahua that use Juarez as a crossing point for merchandise and now, for example, it is being analyzed by companies from the East that are coming to Mexico. I believe that with the numbers we are presenting in the situations we are presenting, they will try to leave”, he added.
In this regard, the governor of the state, María Eugenia Campos Galván, urged the Mexican Federal Government to intervene and solve this migratory crisis, since it has negatively impacted the commercial activity and the life of the families in the region.
As well as Oscar Ibañez, the governor’s representative in Ciudad Juarez, stated that they have closely monitored the traffic and have urged the community to use other crossings, including Guadalupe-Tornillo.
However, it is important to note that the ideal situation would be to stop migrant traffic, as the purpose of this closure is to allow U.S. authorities to provide support to the Border Patrol in processing the immigration paperwork of foreign nationals who continue to arrive from the Mexican side.
While over the weekend, a caravan of around 500 migrants arrived in the region, and although the closure notice does not specify the exact duration of this temporary suspension, it is expected to last until September 23.
This migration crisis and the border closure have caused significant concerns for both local commerce and businesses that depend on the constant flow of goods across the border.
Despite the options available, this crisis puts exports from this point of the border at risk, so it is necessary to resolve the migration issue to achieve a more orderly flow and avoid future complications that could affect the economy of Ciudad Juarez.
