Mexican trucking leaders are pressing U.S. border officials to clarify how B-1 visa revocations are handled, warning that inconsistent cabotage enforcement could remove experienced drivers from cross-border operations and tighten capacity on U.S.-Mexico lanes, according to FreightWaves.
CANACAR presses CBP for clearer rules
Ismael Reyes de la Rosa, the National Chamber of Freight Transportation’s (CANACAR) representative in Mexicali, Mexico, said Mexican carriers want U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to clearly define what constitutes an irregularity involving cabotage and to explain the process used when revoking a driver’s visa. FreightWaves reported that Reyes spoke at an Aug. 21 news conference posted by Cree En La Noticia.
“We have always had a very good relationship as a chamber, as an institution,” Reyes said at the news conference.
CANACAR met with CBP around February and was initially told that nothing had changed regarding enforcement procedures, according to Reyes. Revocations continued after the meeting, with enforcement coming in waves: “They calm down for two, three weeks, a week, and then suddenly the operation comes all week,” Reyes said. About six weeks ago, CANACAR sought another meeting with CBP but was told by email that nothing had changed and that another meeting was unnecessary. “That is very worrying, that they no longer want to have a dialogue with us,” Reyes said.
How many drivers are affected
For Mexican drivers, losing a B-1 visa can eliminate income earned from international freight trips, CANACAR said. The chamber estimates that between 150 and 200 drivers in the Mexicali region have had their visas revoked so far in 2026. Separately, CANACAR representatives estimated that roughly 25,000 visas have been revoked from Mexican commercial truck drivers across the country’s northern border, although U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed that figure, according to FreightWaves.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. exports via Calexico-Mexicali, June | $71.82 million | U.S. Census data analyzed by WorldCity |
| Year-over-year change in exports | -1.33% | U.S. Census data analyzed by WorldCity |
| CANACAR estimate: Mexicali region visa revocations in 2026 | 150–200 drivers | CANACAR via FreightWaves |
| CANACAR estimate: northern border visa revocations | ~25,000 drivers | CANACAR via FreightWaves (not publicly confirmed by U.S. officials) |
The cabotage interpretation gap
The dispute centers on how cabotage rules are interpreted during international freight movements. Cabotage generally involves a foreign carrier transporting freight between two points within the United States rather than conducting an international movement, FreightWaves explained. CANACAR recognizes that Mexican B-1 drivers cannot transport domestic U.S. freight, but contends that enforcement officials are applying different interpretations to legitimate international trips.
Alfonso Esquer Millán, vice president of CANACAR’s Northwest region, highlighted two conflicting interpretations of what happens after a Mexican truck delivers an international shipment in the United States. Some officials believe the truck must return to Mexico empty after completing the delivery and then reenter the United States empty before picking up another international shipment. Others allow a Mexican driver who delivers a shipment in the U.S. to reposition the truck, pick up a Mexico-bound load and return south. CANACAR maintains that neither scenario constitutes cabotage.
Operational impact for shippers
The Calexico-Mexicali crossing is an important commercial port of entry for cross-border transportation, and the uncertainty over driver visas adds risk to predictable U.S.-Mexico freight flows. FreightWaves noted that inconsistent interpretations of cabotage rules could remove experienced drivers from cross-border operations, tighten available capacity and create additional uncertainty for manufacturers, carriers and shippers that depend on predictable U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
Watch list
- Whether CBP responds to CANACAR’s request for a new dialogue after the email rejection described by Reyes.
- Whether U.S. officials publicly confirm or dispute the 25,000-revocation estimate.
- Whether enforcement continues in the periodic waves described by Reyes, which would signal no change in field-level interpretation.
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