Mexican truckers and farmers began removing most highway and border blockades on Thursday after reaching a series of agreements with federal authorities, easing several days of disruptive protests that choked freight flows across the country and into the U.S.
The blockades — which hit major highways, toll booths, and multiple U.S. border crossings — were organized in response to escalating highway insecurity, rising cargo theft, farmer grievances over water regulations, and demands for overdue subsidy payments.
The road blockades sharply curtailed cross-border shipments: in Nogales, Arizona, only 3 of 32 produce trucks scheduled to arrive earlier this week made it through, raising concerns about fresh-fruit and vegetable shortages after Thanksgiving.
Trade leaders said the blockade was having an economic impact of approximately $3 million a day in lost cross-border salaries and revenue, including an impact on Mexico’s maquiladora industry, which relies on finished products being exported to the U.S.
“In Nogales alone, approximately 50,000 jobs depend on the export of finished products,” Genaro Vecerra, CEO of Index Nogales, told El Imparcial.
After more than 12 hours of negotiations, leaders from the National Front for the Rescue of the Countryside and the National Association of Truckers said the government committed to:
• Improving highway security amid growing violence and trucker disappearances,
• Reviewing provisions of the proposed Water Law,
• Guaranteeing pending payments for corn and wheat producers,
• Maintaining a permanent working group to address rural pricing and trade issues, including protecting basic grains in the 2026 USMCA review.
Mexico’s Interior Ministry (Segob) said the agreement will restore “the free movement of the population and emergency services” and begin normalizing freight flows nationwide.
By Thursday afternoon, Omnia reported at least 90% of blockades had been lifted, according to the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC). However, isolated closures remained in states such as Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, Hidalgo and Guanajuato.
Despite progress, protest leaders stressed that lifting the blockades does not mean their demands have been abandoned. They warned they will continue monitoring the government’s commitments and could resume demonstrations if promised actions stall.
