Commerce Express Weekly Road Map:
October 22nd, 2024
Keeping you informed on the latest news/insights in our industry.
Trade Groups Challenge Federal Proposal to Ban Tractor Trailers From El Paso's Bridge of Americas
Federal officials have come under fire from the trade community for their recommendation to ban tractor-trailers from the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, Texas. As part of a $700 million infrastructure upgrade for the 57-year-old bridge, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has proposed eliminating all cargo traffic at this key crossing.
El Paso relies on two international bridges for commercial truck traffic: the Bridge of the Americas and the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge. Currently, the Bridge of the Americas sees about 500 northbound cargo trucks each day, while the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge handles over 1,200 – Freightwaves reports.
Near the end of September, the GSA presented three alternatives during an environmental impact study concerning the future of the Bridge of the Americas. Two of the three alternatives proposed completely stopping all commercial cargo traffic at the port of entry, with the other alternative suggesting no modernization efforts at all.
As of now, the start of the project is scheduled for 2026, of which commercial traffic would be halted at the Bridge of the Americas for three years.
How this would impact the trucking industry: For starters, truckers would have to find different routes, which could create congestion issues at nearby border bridges. Furthermore, as Freightwaves reports, the Bridge of the Americas is the only non-toll bridge in the area, if truckers were to use the Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge it would be $9 per vehicle with five axles, plus an additional $4.50 for other axles.
Commerce Blog
Aside from tourism, Mexico is perhaps even stronger in relations with the U.S. in trade. In 2023, Mexico was America’s top trading partner, totaling in value of over $670 billion, and, from the looks of it, the result could very well repeat itself in 2024. U.S. business interests continue to deepen their roots in Mexico as cross-border (between U.S. and Mexico) shipments flourish. While it’s not the case with all U.S. shippers, sooner or later, the next move could be Mexico.
That said, despite the country’s proximity to one another, the complications inherent in international shipping still exist for trade between the U.S. and Mexico. As this partnership grows, it’s important for U.S. shippers to familiarize themselves with cross-border shipping and its best practices.
In the realm of cross-border transportation, shippers ought to respect the rules of the trade, otherwise they are putting themselves at higher risk of delays and penalties. What are the necessary boxes needed to check prior to a cross-border shipment?
Diesel Update: The average price of diesel decreased by 7.8 cents a gallon, putting the average price of diesel at $3.553 per the U.S. EIA.
Rail: Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and CSX will launch a new intermodal service linking Mexico to the Southeastern U.S. by the end of the year, per the JOC. This follows approval from U.S. regulators for their acquisitions of two segments of a regional rail line in Alabama and Mississippi.
[Labor]: Port of Montreal:
Dockworkers (Longshoremen’s Union Local 375, approx. 1,200 members) at the Port of Montreal have initiated an overtime strike. According to a press release from the Port, the strike began October 10th. The workers will refrain from working any overtime for an indefinite duration.
Earlier, the dockworkers held a three-day strike (Sept. 30th – Oct. 2nd) at two container terminals at the port. Their previous contract expired December 31st, 2023.
Intermodal: Due to significant damage from Hurricane Helene, Norfolk Southern’s line between Asheville, North Carolina and Newport, Tennessee will be out of service until at least late January 2025, per a press release. NS was able to reopen all their main routes within 72 hours after Helene made landfall.
Recent Comments