Temporary suspension of commercial vehicles worries Juarez business leaders

UPDATE: U.S. Customs and Border Protection is warning businesses to expect longer than normal wait times at the Ysleta port of entry cargo facility.

CBP says the deployment of CBP officers from the Ysleta port will likely impact wait times for travelers.

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- After U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the temporary suspension of commercial operations at the Bridge of the Americas, Juarez business leaders and stakeholders are growing concerned.

In a morning news conference, Manuel Sotelo with the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation says this temporary suspension will bring to the border what we experienced in 2019.

When we saw an increase in commercial lines four years ago, over $240 million were lost in just four weeks, according to Sotelo.

The Bridge of the Americas typically processes over 700 northbound commercial trucks daily; but according to CBP, they have seen that number reduced to approximately 200 after the state's enhanced safety inspections that were initiated in December of last year.

With the increase in lines and wait times, business leaders in Juarez are expecting the same amount of losses they saw in 2022.

According to Sotelo, they expect to lose around $10 million every day, and he also said some foreign businesses might move to another place if the temporary suspensions continue.

With more CBP personnel being moved to assist the influx of migrants, this also affects regular border crossers.