According to the USDA's latest Grain Transportation report, as of October 13, residents of Chapulco (a community in southeastern Mexico) ended their blockade of Ferrosur—the Mexican railroad connecting the Port of Veracruz to Central Mexico. However, in the wake of the blockade, a backlog of grain shipments persists, waiting to move from Veracruz to livestock producers in Central Mexico.
The Port of Veracruz is the largest entry point for grain imports by ocean to Mexico. According to the USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS), from January to August 2024, 31% of U.S. grain exports to Mexico (totaling 6.8 million metric tons) were shipped by ocean, from New Orleans, LA, and Houston, TX.
The blockade, which began on September 24, ended when protesters reached a deal with the Mexican government and Ferrosur. The blockade had been in protest of a past derailment that damaged the Chapulco community’s water supply.
All information sourced from the USDA's Grain Transportation Report
