About 8,000 trailers carrying an estimated $1 billion worth of goods have been stranded on the Mexican side over the past week, said Manuel Sotelo, president of the transport association of Ciudad Juarez, a major manufacturing hub across from El Paso, Texas.
The delays forced a Canadian snowmobile and off-road vehicle manufacturer to suspend production on Monday and Tuesday at three factories in Ciudad Juarez that employ some 9,000 people.
"Due to the waiting times on the international bridges in Ciudad Juarez, we have had a significant reduction in the volume of units that we can export daily," the Quebec-based company, BRP, said in a statement.
Jesus Salayandía, a representative of the Mexican industry association Canacintra, said he expected other companies in Ciudad Juarez would announce temporary work stoppages if the long wait times at the border continue.
U.S. border authorities suspended cargo processing at one of El Paso's international bridges last week to shift officers to process more migrant arrivals.
Persons:
Manuel Sotelo, Sotelo, Jesus Salayandía, Ferromex, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Laura Gottesdiener, Isabel Woodford, Sonali Paul
Organizations:
. Customs, Border Protection, Patrol, U.S ., Ciudad, Reuters, BRP, El, U.S . Customs, Protection, Union Pacific, Wednesday . Union Pacific, Thomson
Locations:
Zaragoza, Ysleta, U.S, Cordova, Americas, CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, El Paso , Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Canadian, Quebec, Mexican, United States, Eagle Pass , Texas, Monterrey, Mexico City