Mexican trucking organizations reached an agreement with federal officials Tuesday to begin negotiations aimed at resolving a nationwide strike that disrupted highways across 19 states,
The agreement between Mexico’s Interior Ministry (Segob) and trucking groups, including the National Chamber of Freight Transport (CANACAR), calls for four high-level working sessions addressing highway security, infrastructure, tax incentives, regulations and other issues affecting the country’s freight transportation industry.
Truckers launched nationwide demonstrations on Monday, demanding government action against cargo theft, highway robberies with violence, extortion and rising operating costs.
The agreement arises after trade and freight transportation officials raised concerns about freight transportation and supply chain delays, according to reporting by La Jornada, T21 and Revista Transportes y Turismo.
Mexico’s Interior Ministry reported demonstrations at 38 locations across 19 states Monday morning, involving 691 vehicles and 858 participants. The protests included truck convoys, roadside gatherings and highway blockades.
CANACAR disputed the government’s assessment of the demonstrations, saying the protest movement extended across all 32 Mexican states.
Augusto Ramos Melo, president of CANACAR, met Tuesday with Interior Ministry officials alongside Carlos García Álvarez, president of the Honorable Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (HAMOTAC), and Lauro Rincón Hernández, president of the Mexican-American Federation of Transporters (FEMATRAC).
Following the meeting, Ramos Melo announced that four negotiating sessions would be established to address the industry’s demands.
However, the organizations had not confirmed that all demonstrations had ended.
Earlier Tuesday, CANACAR and other trucking organizations had called on participants to continue peaceful demonstrations at strategic highway locations while negotiations were being arranged.
The protests have highlighted longstanding concerns among Mexican trucking companies over cargo theft, violence against truck drivers, extortion and the costs of operating commercial vehicles.
Why it matters: Mexico’s nationwide trucking protests underscore the vulnerability of freight corridors supporting U.S.-Mexico trade, while the new negotiations could determine whether carriers face additional disruptions in the coming days.
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