SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Merchandise and materials crossing the border from Tijuana to the United States was down by 40% during the first four months of this year.
Israel Delgado Vallejo, vice president of the northwest chamber of freight transporters in Baja says the uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s tariffs and slow crossing times at the commercial side of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry are the reasons for the slow-down.
“It’s an atypical year, the war over tariffs is the main reason for the reduction, but long waits at the border have contributed,” he said.
According to Delgado Vallejo, on average, almost 4,500 trucks would cross the border daily, but right now the number is about 2,300.
“The Trump administration has threatened to implement an 25% tax on all products coming from or manufactured in Mexico, people don’t want to commit to placing orders.”
Trump has said the tariffs are a way to force Mexico to do more to prevent drugs and migrants from crossing the border.
Delgado Vallejo says the uncertainty and fewer trips for truckers will continue until the tariffs issue is clarified.
He’s also concerned with the longer inspection times for empty trucks that are being funneled to specific lanes creating a bottleneck at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
“Right now it’s taking about 40 minutes to an hour to cross a load of merchandise, but the ’empties’ are taking four to eight hours to get across,” he said.
Delgado Vallejo explained that if empty rigs can’t get from one side of the border to the other, they can’t pick up materials quickly enough slowing down the flow of commerce.
“U.S. authorities have detected illegal substances inside some of the trucks that’s why there’s more inspection,” he said.
Delgado Vallejo is part of a group of business executives who are calling for empty trucks to be allowed to use the Otay Mesa II Port of Entry to cross the border even though the U.S. side of the crossing is not done yet.
“The transportation sector is pushing this idea, we can use this infrastructure to get trucks across faster in spite of the United States not concluding with the project on its side of the border, we can start using this new crossing now.”
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