AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State lawmakers heard from transportation and commerce specialists on Thursday to learn the way the present disaster on the Texas-Mexico border is impacting commerce.
The Port of Entry in Del Rio is already processing lower than final 12 months, in accordance with Carline Mays with the Texas Division of Transportation.
“In 2020, Del Rio processed $4.2 billion in commerce. And in 2021, that quantity thus far is for $2.5 billion,” Mays stated.
The port needed to shut down for 10 days this month resulting from a surge of Haitian migrants, which had a ripple impact on commerce.
“It handles about $12.5 million a day in commerce with over 200 vans are crossing,” Mays stated. “The shutdown resulted in site visitors being diverted to Eagle Go, which is a distance of 56 miles or an hour and a half drive, and that might be longer, as a result of now you will have much more site visitors occurring the one route.”
Site visitors was already a problem at processing factors with lengthy waits.
“It’s extra frequent than to not see three to 4 hours,” John Esparza with the Texas Trucking Affiliation advised lawmakers on Thursday.
Esparza stated truck drivers have additionally observed slower processing and delays, as a result of border brokers are being shifted primarily based on the place the migrants stream.
“When brokers that transfer in to exchange them aren’t as skilled, and throughout the board, we heard from trucking corporations that whose drivers misplaced their B-1 visas, by short-term brokers who they’re very conscious of wouldn’t in any other case have misplaced these, due to the inexperience,” he stated.
TTA is asking lawmakers to have a look at long-term infrastructure enhancements to assist minimize down on time and enhance commerce.
“This isn’t going to be a Christmas season the place it’s going to be simply frequent simply to get these requests in by the twenty second or twenty third of December to get your presents by the twenty fifth,” Esparza warned, talking to the better concern of trucker shortages and congestion issues all through the state.
