Page 25 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
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ays have direct costs for manufacturers, and they are Many other sectors are in the same situation.
already accumulating. What if the border is closed but
commercial traffic is allowed to
Has the border ever been closed before? continue?
What happened then?
The U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada were not It’s not clear how closing the border to all but
closed after the 9/11 attacks, but the United States did “commercial traffic” would work legally or logistically.
implement a “Level 1 Alert” under which customs officers
physically searched all vehicles before allowing them to The U.S.-Mexico border is the most frequently crossed
enter the United States. According to testimony by the border in the world. Nearly half a million people
Stephen E. Flynn of the Council for Foreign Relations in legally cross the southern border every day as workers,
2004, the impact was severe: students, tourists, and shoppers. It’s unclear if their
movements would be blocked under such a proposal.
Within a day [after the 9/11 attacks] there was a 16-hour
queue at the major border crossings in Michigan and New More to the point, closing the U.S.-Mexico border to
York. By September 13, Daimler-Chrysler announced they legal travelers and cargo that fall outside of goods on
would have to close an assembling plant on the following trains and trucks would do nothing to address concerns
day because their supplies were stuck on the north side of relating to the recent increase in border crossings by
the border. On September 14, Ford announced they would Central Americans.
be closing 5 plants the following week.
How else would border communities
That all happened in three days — and this followed and states be affected?
from long delays, not a border closure.
Border cities and towns depend on cross-border
How might other industries be commerce in many ways. Many U.S. stores depend
affected? on Mexican shoppers. In McAllen, TX, for example,
“Mexican shoppers make up nearly one-third of the
Lance Jungmeyer, President of the Fresh Produce roughly $3.2 billion worth of retail sales the city records
Association of the Americas, explains that U.S. annually,” reports The New York Times.
consumers are incredibly reliant on imports of produce
from Mexico this time of year. “Because most of the Many schools in border communities serve border-
U.S. is out of season, with risk of frost in most parts of crossing students. In El Paso, TX, administrators with
the U.S., there is very little supply or chance for the U.S. Father Yermo Catholic School confirm “about 40
to fill this market gap,” he explains. percent of the school’s population crosses the border
everyday from Mexico,” according to ABC-7 KVIA.
Citing USDA data, Jungmeyer points out that U.S.
consumers currently rely on Mexico to provide 82% of “The closing of the U.S.-Mexico Border would
cucumbers, 71% of eggplant, 62% of bell peppers, 62% be economically devastating to Texas,” wrote the
of cherry tomatoes, and 70% of seedless watermelons. Texas Association of Business, which serves as the
These data are for April 2018. state chamber of commerce. “The Lone Star state is
dependent on trade; it is our lifeblood. If you want
Railroads, an industry that depends on international to create an economic crisis, then shutting down the
trade for 35% of revenue, would be impacted border will create a financial crisis.”
significantly. The Association of American Railroads
estimates that 50,000 rail jobs depend directly on The view from Arizona — a likely 2020 electoral
international trade. battleground — is also dire. “A closure of the U.S.-
Mexico border would be an economic catastrophe,”
The Plastics Industry Association concurs. “Even a wrote Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
temporary closure of the U.S.-Mexico border will harm President and CEO Glenn Hamer. “It would put an end
the economic well-being of the plastics industry here to any chance for the administration to stay on course
in the U.S. and in Mexico, jeopardizing operations and for its stated goal of 3%-plus growth.”■
putting the jobs of plastics workers at risk,” said Patty
Long, the association’s CEO. The industry’s exports to
Mexico topped $28 billion in 2018.
South China Business Journal 22
already accumulating. What if the border is closed but
commercial traffic is allowed to
Has the border ever been closed before? continue?
What happened then?
The U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada were not It’s not clear how closing the border to all but
closed after the 9/11 attacks, but the United States did “commercial traffic” would work legally or logistically.
implement a “Level 1 Alert” under which customs officers
physically searched all vehicles before allowing them to The U.S.-Mexico border is the most frequently crossed
enter the United States. According to testimony by the border in the world. Nearly half a million people
Stephen E. Flynn of the Council for Foreign Relations in legally cross the southern border every day as workers,
2004, the impact was severe: students, tourists, and shoppers. It’s unclear if their
movements would be blocked under such a proposal.
Within a day [after the 9/11 attacks] there was a 16-hour
queue at the major border crossings in Michigan and New More to the point, closing the U.S.-Mexico border to
York. By September 13, Daimler-Chrysler announced they legal travelers and cargo that fall outside of goods on
would have to close an assembling plant on the following trains and trucks would do nothing to address concerns
day because their supplies were stuck on the north side of relating to the recent increase in border crossings by
the border. On September 14, Ford announced they would Central Americans.
be closing 5 plants the following week.
How else would border communities
That all happened in three days — and this followed and states be affected?
from long delays, not a border closure.
Border cities and towns depend on cross-border
How might other industries be commerce in many ways. Many U.S. stores depend
affected? on Mexican shoppers. In McAllen, TX, for example,
“Mexican shoppers make up nearly one-third of the
Lance Jungmeyer, President of the Fresh Produce roughly $3.2 billion worth of retail sales the city records
Association of the Americas, explains that U.S. annually,” reports The New York Times.
consumers are incredibly reliant on imports of produce
from Mexico this time of year. “Because most of the Many schools in border communities serve border-
U.S. is out of season, with risk of frost in most parts of crossing students. In El Paso, TX, administrators with
the U.S., there is very little supply or chance for the U.S. Father Yermo Catholic School confirm “about 40
to fill this market gap,” he explains. percent of the school’s population crosses the border
everyday from Mexico,” according to ABC-7 KVIA.
Citing USDA data, Jungmeyer points out that U.S.
consumers currently rely on Mexico to provide 82% of “The closing of the U.S.-Mexico Border would
cucumbers, 71% of eggplant, 62% of bell peppers, 62% be economically devastating to Texas,” wrote the
of cherry tomatoes, and 70% of seedless watermelons. Texas Association of Business, which serves as the
These data are for April 2018. state chamber of commerce. “The Lone Star state is
dependent on trade; it is our lifeblood. If you want
Railroads, an industry that depends on international to create an economic crisis, then shutting down the
trade for 35% of revenue, would be impacted border will create a financial crisis.”
significantly. The Association of American Railroads
estimates that 50,000 rail jobs depend directly on The view from Arizona — a likely 2020 electoral
international trade. battleground — is also dire. “A closure of the U.S.-
Mexico border would be an economic catastrophe,”
The Plastics Industry Association concurs. “Even a wrote Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
temporary closure of the U.S.-Mexico border will harm President and CEO Glenn Hamer. “It would put an end
the economic well-being of the plastics industry here to any chance for the administration to stay on course
in the U.S. and in Mexico, jeopardizing operations and for its stated goal of 3%-plus growth.”■
putting the jobs of plastics workers at risk,” said Patty
Long, the association’s CEO. The industry’s exports to
Mexico topped $28 billion in 2018.
South China Business Journal 22
