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Used Cars Create A Backlog At The Border

Hundreds of used cars sit idle at a port of entry outside El Paso waiting to be imported into Mexico on June 24, 2016.
(Photo by Mónica Ortiz Uribe- KJZZ)
Hundreds of used cars sit idle at a port of entry outside El Paso waiting to be imported into Mexico on June 24, 2016.

Thousands of used cars waiting to be imported into Mexico are creating chaos at ports of entry in Texas and California.

Angry used car dealers protesting in Ciudad Juárez shut down commercial traffic going into Mexico for several hours this week. At a border crossing south of San Diego, a backlog of 4,000 used cars is waiting to be exported, according to the Tijuana Chamber of Commerce.

A spokeswoman for the chamber said Mexico's customs agency has lowered the daily quota of used cars entering the country and reduced its hours. The agency didn't respond to requests for more information.

The used car industry has denounced new regulations in recent years that include higher taxes and stricter inspections. Mexico's supreme court has agreed to review a lawsuit that claims those regulations do not comply with the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mónica Ortiz Uribe was a senior field correspondent for the Fronteras Desk from 2010 to 2016.