Alabama Senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, along with four other members of the U.S. Senate, have collaborated on a bill. The bill aims to impose penalties on Mexico if it tries to benefit from the seizure of a port facility owned by Vulcan Materials Co., based in Birmingham.
Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) are also sponsors of the “Defending American Property Abroad Act,” which adds to the ongoing dispute over Vulcan’s property in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The bill aims to prevent any vessel from entering a U.S. port if it has utilized a port, land, or infrastructure that has been unlawfully seized from a U.S. entity by a foreign nation in the Western hemisphere.
The proposed law would also mandate the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify and prohibit unlawfully seized ports from participating in U.S. trade. Additionally, it would necessitate the U.S. Trade Representative to inform Congress about such occurrences during the forthcoming assessment of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2026.
The site has faced controversy for multiple years. In May 2022, the Mexican government took action by shutting down operations at the site, deploying the Mexican military. Moreover, in March 2023, despite a court-ordered stay on any government action to confiscate the property, the authorities seized the facility.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has issued a warning, stating that if Vulcan does not accept a $360 million offer for the gravel pits before he leaves office next year, he may consider declaring the property a natural protected area or resort to seizing it by force.
Vulcan claims that the Punta Venado deep-water port facility is valued at over $1 billion.
Earlier this year, López Obrador made a declaration to designate Vulcan’s land and port in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo as a naturally protected area.
Last week, all the members of Alabama’s House delegation came together to advocate for Vulcan.
“President López Obrador’s plan to take control of Vulcan’s deep-water port is a clear case of unlawfully seizing a U.S.-owned operation. This blatant disregard for the rule of law not only threatens America’s economic and national security interests but also puts Alabama in a precarious position,” stated Britt.
Tuberville expressed his disappointment at the ongoing intensification of the attacks on Vulcan’s operation, stating that it is a clear violation of the long-standing trade agreement between the two countries over the past three decades.
