Alabama Senators Push Bill to Protect Vulcan Materials Port Amid Mexico Dispute
Alabama Senators push a bill to protect U.S. business interests, aiming to penalize Mexico over the Vulcan Materials port dispute. The legislation seeks to prevent illegal property seizures and defend American economic security.
@ReadWhatRickWrote 
Two Alabama U.S. Senators, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, have teamed up with other lawmakers to introduce a new bill. This bill aims to penalize Mexico if they try to make money from seizing a port facility owned by Vulcan Materials, a company based in Birmingham.
Joining them are Senators Bill Hagerty from Tennessee, Tim Kaine from Virginia, Ted Budd from North Carolina, and John Barrasso from Wyoming. Together, they are backing the "Defending American Property Abroad Act." This act is the latest move in an ongoing fight over Vulcan’s property in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The bill seeks to block any ships that use a port or land seized illegally from a U.S. company by another country in the Western Hemisphere from entering U.S. ports.
Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to list illegally seized ports and prevent them from being used for U.S. trade. It also calls for the U.S. Trade Representative to report on these incidents to Congress, especially during the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2026.
The dispute has been going on for years. In May 2022, the Mexican government used the military to shut down Vulcan’s operations. Then, in March 2023, they took control of the facility, even though a court had ordered them not to.
Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has warned that he might declare the property a protected natural area or take it by force if Vulcan doesn’t accept his $360 million offer for the gravel pits before he leaves office next year. Vulcan values the port at over $1 billion.
Earlier this year, López Obrador announced that he wanted to make Vulcan’s land and port a protected area in the state of Quintana Roo.
Last week, all of Alabama’s House representatives called for action to support Vulcan.
In a statement, Senator Britt said the bill was a way to follow through on promises to hold Mexico accountable if their president keeps pushing his “illegal actions.”
“Make no mistake—President López Obrador’s attempt to take Vulcan’s deep-water port is a clear violation of U.S. property rights,” Britt said. “His actions are putting America’s and Alabama’s economic and national security at risk.”
Senator Tuberville added that the continued pressure on Vulcan’s operations is a serious blow to the trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, which has lasted for 30 years.
