Mexican freight companies launched an indefinite national strike Monday to protest rising insecurity on highways, cargo theft, extortion and soaring operating costs. Protests planned at several main freight hubs could disrupt commercial transport along key trade routes linking Mexico and the United States.
The mobilization is organized by the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR) along with other trucking associations and includes planned protests in Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Monterrey, Tijuana and Mexico City. The move could impact freight movement through some of the busiest commercial corridors in North America, including Nuevo Laredo, which sits across from Laredo, Texas, the nation’s top inland port of entry.
According to CANACAR President Augusto Ramos Melo, truck operators are growing more and more frustrated by the persistent issue of cargo theft, the violence directed at drivers, the deteriorating state of road infrastructure, excessive towing costs, and regulatory pressures. Industry representatives also are opposing proposed changes to Mexico’s 2027 fiscal package that would limit eligibility for a tax credit covering certain highway toll expenses.
The demonstrations were expected to involve truck convoys and vehicles parked on highways, near logistics hubs and other key freight locations. Organizers are calling for peaceful action, but the mobilization could still lead to traffic jams, delays and disruption to cargo transportation.
The Interior Ministry in Mexico called on CANACAR to resume talks, saying a number of other transport groups had already agreed to participate in negotiations to prevent highway and commercial traffic interruptions. CANACAR however upheld its call for demonstrations despite the government’s plea.
The industrial action comes as Mexico’s trucking sector is under mounting pressure despite its crucial role in moving automotive parts, manufactured goods, agricultural products and other freight between Mexico and the United States. Any extended disruption could impact supply chains that rely on the free flow of goods across the border.
No end date to the protests was known as of Monday nor any indication whether they would disrupt commercial crossings along the border.
Why it’s important: A prolonged trucking strike could disrupt cross-border supply chains, delay shipments moving through major trade gateways in Texas and California and increase transportation costs for U.S. importers and manufacturers.
