Import Business Could Face Delays from Sequestration
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Mar 7, 2013 at 7:30 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 7, 2013
With Laredo being the nation's number one inland port, long delays at the border aren't just irritating, but could cause a damaging blow to the freight and shipping industry.
The U.S. Homeland Security secretary sent a letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry this week, stating that as a result of recent sequestration, waits at the border could be over five hours, and could even force ports to close at core times.
Shipping industry professionals tell us these delays will have a domino effect.
“The wait times, that's just more money out of our pocket because we just have to sit here and wait longer for the loads to come up from mexico and then go back to Canada," truck driver Barry Robert Pollard.
Truckers get paid by the mile. When they are waiting and not driving, they don't get paid.
When we spoke to local Laredoans, they were none too pleased about this possibility.
I feel that it's extremely necessary to take a budget cut especially at the bridge. we have a lot of export and import coming in and coming out and it just wouldn't benefit Laredo whatsoever.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Laredo's economy is primarily based on international trade with Mexico.
More than seven hundred of the Fortune one-thousand companies do business via Laredo.
More than nine thousand cargo trucks pass through town per day.
The letter from the Department of Homeland Security suggests that the delays won't stop at land ports. Container examinations on seaports could increase up to five days. It also says the effects of the wait times will hit the trade community and trickle down to you, with less goods and raw materials being available to consumers.
