US border closures with Mexico, Canada extended through Sept. 21

Trucks will continue to move freight among the three countries

Trucks wait to cross the U.S.-Mexico border at the Port of Laredo. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection.)

The closures of the U.S. land borders with Mexico and Canada for non-essential travel have been extended another month to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The land borders will remain closed through Sept. 21, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced in a tweet on Friday morning.

The U.S. land borders have been closed to non-essential travel since March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Trucks have continued to move freight relatively freely across the Mexican and Canadian borders during the closure.

Pandemic-related shutdowns of large portions of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian economies have proven to be the biggest drag on cross-border trade.

U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada cross-border freight volumes have pushed higher over the summer after plunging during the spring because of the pandemic.

Drug seizures have also surged at both borders during the closures. 

Cross-Border Freight Market Reporter Noi Mahoney contributed to this report.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Nate Tabak.

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