{"id":232242,"date":"2026-04-02T19:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/232242\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T19:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T19:24:17","slug":"texas-business-leaders-warn-of-economic-risks-from-proposed-changes-to-el-pasos-bridge-of-the-americas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/232242\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Business Leaders Warn of Economic Risks from Proposed Changes to El Paso\u2019s Bridge of the Americas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a>The Bridge of the Americas connects El Paso and Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez and is one of the busiest crossings on the U.S.\u2013Mexico border, serving as a vital, toll-free route for trade and daily commuting. Image Wikipedia<\/p>\n

Texas Border Business<\/p>\n

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By Roberto Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez \/ Texas Border Business<\/p>\n

Dated November 4, 2024, a sharply worded letter to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) brought together influential business leaders from both the United States and Mexico to challenge a controversial federal recommendation affecting cross-border trade. The letter was signed by Glenn Hamer, former President and CEO of the Texas Association of Business; John Esparza, President and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association; Alejandro Malag\u00f3n, President of the Confederaci\u00f3n de C\u00e1maras Industriales de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos; and Miguel \u00c1ngel Mart\u00ednez, President of the C\u00e1mara Nacional de Autotransporte de Carga. Representing industries that depend on the efficient movement of goods across the border, these leaders voiced alarm over the proposed removal of commercial traffic from the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA), a critical artery connecting El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, Mexico.<\/p>\n

Their message highlighted not only the economic stakes of the decision but also concerns about the process behind it, arguing that the GSA advanced its recommendation before completing necessary data analysis or fully engaging affected stakeholders. By raising these issues while federal officials were still gathering information, the letter framed the proposal as premature and potentially damaging to one of North America\u2019s most vital trade corridors.<\/p>\n

– Advertisement –\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Gabriela Perdichizzi. Courtesy image<\/p>\n

Nearly a year and a half later, the Texas Association of Business (TAB), representing the Texas State Chamber, renewed its opposition in a March 25, 2026, letter addressed to John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Signed by Gabriela Perdichizzi, TAB\u2019s Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, the letter reiterated earlier criticisms of the recommendation\u2014initially advanced during the Joe Biden administration\u2014describing it as economically harmful and lacking sufficient analysis. TAB aligned with the El Paso Chamber\u2019s request for additional time to complete an independent economic impact study, arguing that moving forward without this data could undermine a key hub of cross-border commerce.<\/p>\n

The follow-up letter emphasized the broader economic implications for Texas, underscoring El Paso\u2019s role as a critical trade gateway and one of the state\u2019s top commercial ports of entry. TAB warned that removing commercial traffic from the Bridge of the Americas could disrupt regional supply chains, increase congestion at other ports of entry, and weaken Texas\u2019s competitive edge in international trade. While acknowledging the importance of modernization and environmental review, the organization stressed that the absence of a comprehensive economic analysis leaves policymakers without a full understanding of the consequences.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ricardo Mora. Courtesy image<\/p>\n

Just days earlier, on March 16, 2026, the El Paso Chamber formally appealed to Senators Cornyn and Cruz, urging federal intervention to delay any final decision on removing commercial traffic from the bridge. In a letter signed by President and CEO Ricardo Mora, the Chamber underscored the bridge\u2019s unique role as the region\u2019s only toll-free crossing and a vital conduit for empty cargo containers essential to efficient cross-border supply chains. Citing strong trade data\u2014including significant growth in commercial crossings and billions in goods processed annually\u2014the Chamber described BOTA as both a regional asset and a cornerstone of Texas\u2019s trade infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The Chamber also highlighted the potential economic risks of reducing commercial capacity at the port of entry, particularly for a region that depends heavily on cross-border commerce for growth and job creation. It warned that such changes could divert trade to competing corridors, undermining El Paso\u2019s competitiveness and diminishing returns on major public infrastructure investments, including the I-10 Connect Project. While supporting modernization efforts, the Chamber emphasized that the lack of a comprehensive economic impact analysis represents a critical gap in the decision-making process, reinforcing calls for a pause and a more data-driven approach to protect the region\u2019s long-term economic stability.<\/p>\n

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Follow the link below to read the TAB Letter:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.txbiz.org\/2024\/11\/06\/eliminating-cargo-traffic-at-bridge-of-the-americas-in-el-paso-will-hurt-texas-business<\/a><\/p>\n

See the Texas Association of Business letter below:<\/p>\n

See the El Paso Chamber Letter below:\u00a0<\/p>\n

– Advertisement –\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bridge of the Americas connects El Paso and Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez and is one of the busiest crossings…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":232243,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[89840,89841,138,89842,140,139,81353,89843,89844],"class_list":["post-232242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-border-infrastructure","tag-bridge-of-the-americas","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-economy","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news","tag-texas-border-business","tag-texas-business-leaders","tag-us-mexico-trade"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}