Alabama’s entire U.S. House delegation and 34 members of Congress from 15 other states are renewing pressure on the Mexican government over its treatment of Birmingham-based Vulcan Materials as the years-long dispute enters another phase.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) led a bipartisan letter to Mexican Ambassador Roberto Lazzeri Montaño demanding a resolution to the dispute involving Vulcan’s property and operations in Mexico.
The letter was co-led by U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) and signed by the rest of Alabama’s House delegation, including U.S. Reps. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), Shomari Figures (D-Mobile), Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), and Dale Strong (R-Huntsville).
The new push comes just weeks after an international tribunal found that Mexico violated its trade obligations in portions of its treatment of Vulcan, whose headquarters are in Birmingham.
Yellowhammer News previously reported that the tribunal found Mexico had violated NAFTA and acted unlawfully in parts of the dispute.
“These predatory actions shatter foreign investor confidence and choke off vital aggregate supplies essential for infrastructure, energy, and housing projects across the American Gulf and Atlantic Coasts,” the members wrote.
The new push comes two months after an international tribunal ruled on July 27 that Mexico breached international law in its treatment of Vulcan. The members wrote that the tribunal “formally declared Mexico in breach of international law for its arbitrary, unfair, and discriminatory treatment of Vulcan Materials.”
Sewell’s office said the Mexican government is now “utilizing baseless criminal charges to re-invade Vulcan’s property and potentially seize Vulcan’s assets.”
“For almost a decade, senior members of the Mexican government have used illegal tactics to intimidate Vulcan Materials and their workers, including a military seizure of Vulcan-owned property in Mexico,” Sewell said.
Members of Congress are now raising concerns that the Mexican government could use criminal proceedings to take further action against Vulcan’s property.
“The Mexican government’s continued targeting of Vulcan Materials is unacceptable,” Palmer said. “No American company should have its property seized or its operations threatened by a foreign government acting outside the rule of law.”
The dispute dates back to 2022, when Mexican authorities shut down Vulcan’s operations in Quintana Roo. Mexican forces later occupied portions of the company’s property, and the government subsequently designated the site a protected natural area, limiting Vulcan’s ability to use it commercially.
Alabama lawmakers in both parties have repeatedly intervened on Vulcan’s behalf.
Earlier this year, the House passed the Defending American Property Abroad Act, which would give the federal government additional tools to respond when foreign governments seize or interfere with American-owned assets.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
