Mexican business group accuses US of treaty breach over pollution from border bridge closure

MEXICO CITY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A Mexican business coalition accused the United States of violating a 40-year-old environmental treaty by failing to assess air quality impacts on Mexican border residents before closing a major cargo crossing, according to a complaint made public on Tuesday.

The complaint, filed with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), which oversees environmental issues in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, argued the decision will divert tens of thousands of trucks annually to neighborhoods already suffering from high pollution levels.

WHY IT MATTERS

• The National Association of Importers and Exporters of Mexico's Chihuahua chapter filed the complaint under the USMCA trade agreement, alleging the U.S. violated the 1983 La Paz Agreement requiring evaluation of significant environmental impacts within 100 km of the border on both sides.

• The May 2 decision by the U.S. General Services Administration will permanently close commercial operations at the Cordova-Americas bridge straddling the border between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Chihuahua starting May 2026, redirecting over 40,000 annual truck crossings primarily to Zaragoza-Ysleta, 19 km away.

• Zaragoza-Ysleta already handles 67% of the region's commercial truck traffic, and the petition alleges the additional vehicles will significantly increase pollution in densely populated Mexican neighborhoods south of the crossing.

• Petitioners claim the U.S. environmental review failed to consider cross-border impacts, despite the bilateral treaty's requirement that both countries assess and mitigate significant environmental effects in the 100-km border zone.