Costs mount as migration-related delays stall trucks at US-Mexico border

By Jose Luis Gonzalez and Brendan O'Boyle

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Trucks attempting to enter the United States from Mexico queued for miles on Wednesday amid delays related to record migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, while an industry group said the value of goods stalled in Mexico had surpassed $1.5 billion.

Thousands of trucks have been stranded on the Mexican side of the border after U.S. authorities shut down crossings and imposed extra security checks amid an increase in migration.

In Ciudad Juarez, trucks waited to cross a bridge into Santa Teresa, New Mexico, after cargo processing was temporarily suspended at a bridge connecting the city to El Paso, Texas, to allow customs officers to assist in processing migrants arriving outside official crossings.

Local media said the line of trucks extended 20kms (12 miles).

Also on Wednesday, auto transport group CANACAR in a statement expressed "deep concern" over Texas' inspections of trucks crossing the border from Mexico, which it said had kept more than $1.5 billion in goods from entering the U.S.

"This measure has generated a crisis that has resulted in closures, detours, longer crossing times and significant reductions in the export volumes of different products from Mexico to the United States," CANACAR said.

CANACAR's statement comes a day after the government of border state Chihuahua said that the costs of a sharp downturn in U.S.-bound cargo trucks had totaled nearly $1 billion over about two weeks.

In addition to the slowdown of trucks and trailers, thousands of railroad cars were also stalled in recent days after border officials temporarily halted processing at the international railway crossing bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Some U.S.-bound cargo trains were also disrupted when a major Mexican freight rail operator temporarily suspended operations after migrants died or were hurt jumping on the trains.

The moves prompted Mexico's foreign ministry to urge U.S. authorities not to take "unilateral measures" complicating trade.

(Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez and Brendan O'Boyle in Mexico City; Editing by Michael Perry)