A massive highway blockade by farmers and truckers swept across Mexico on Monday, snarling traffic in more than 20 states and raising the possibility of significant delays for cargo, cross-border transport and port operations.
The nationwide mobilization – led by ANTAC, the National Front for the Rescue of the Village (FNRCM) and the Movimiento Agrícola Campesino (MAC) – began before dawn and quickly blocked major routes including the Mexico City-Tuloca, Mexico City-Puebla, Mexico City-Querétaro, and Chihuahua corridors, and the Zavaacalo corridors. According to La Jornada and El Pais, Potosí and the state of Mexico.
Truckers say they are protesting the increase in violence on highways, including cargo theft, robbery and police extortion. According to N+, ANTAC leaders report 54 to 70 truck thefts per day, while accusing state, municipal and even National Guard employees of complicity in corruption at roadside stations.
Farmers said they wanted higher support prices for crops such as corn and beans and opposed amendments to the National Water Act.
Brokerage giant CH Robinson (Nasdaq: CHRW ) said it has already seen cargo rerouted around the blockade, including traffic moving north between ports of entry in the Juarez-El Paso area. The company provided an advisory for its customers.
“The full impact is uncertain and depends on how long the blockades last. Historically, we’ve seen similar events causing shipping delays of 4 to 8 hours and customs delays of 2 to 4 hours,” Veronica Gonzalez, director of surface transportation North America, Mexico at CH Robinson, told FreightWaves in an email. “We are currently seeing changing traffic patterns – carriers that intended to use the Intercontinental Bridge are diverting through other ports in the Juarez-El Paso area, including Santa Teresa and Zaragoza. These diversions are causing congestion, but will continue to operate as of this morning.”
Gonzalez said the company began activating emergency plans late last week in anticipation of Monday’s unrest.
In western Mexico, protesters blocked several toll plazas in Michoacán — including Panindicuaro, Santa Casilda, Xinapecuaro, Vista Hermosa and Ecuandroo — as part of a broader campaign calling for safer highways to move goods and agricultural products.
Federal operators reported additional intermittent closures on routes such as Cuernavaca-Acapulco and the Mexico-Cuertaro highway.
Logistics points were also hit. At Manzanillo – Mexico’s busiest container port on the Pacific – protest disruptions temporarily halted customs operations before operations resumed at midday under pressure from customs officials.
The federal government has called on protest leaders to end the protests and insists that dialogue remains open. Gonzalez said they are monitoring the blockades and advising customers on how to proceed.
“The situation is very fluid, so we are monitoring it closely and maintaining an open line of communication with customers. This is not the first cross-border disruption this month, and it probably won’t be the last,” he said. Our teams are experts in thinking outside the box and creating supply chain strategies to reduce delays. One food and beverage customer decided to hold shipments altogether today, others expedited shipments over the weekend, and some are exploring intra-Mexico or cross-border air freight options to maintain vehicle supply continuity.
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