Washington D.C. – A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the Defending American Property Abroad Act in response to the seizure of property owned by the Vulcan Materials Company in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) jointly introduced the bill, which seeks to impose retaliatory measures against the Mexican government if it profits from the confiscated property.
The proposed legislation would prohibit any vessel using infrastructure or ports seized from a U.S. company in the Western Hemisphere from entering U.S. ports. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identify and ban such ports from U.S. trade. It also requires the U.S. Trade Representative to address such expropriations during the 2026 review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Senator Britt emphasized the significance of the issue, stating, “President López Obrador’s scheme to seize Vulcan’s deep-water port would represent a flagrant expropriation of a lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned operation, and his administration’s assault on the rule of law is putting America’s and Alabama’s economic and national security interests in jeopardy.” She added that the legislation ensures that the U.S. will respond with “crushing consequences” if Mexico profits from illegal actions.
Senator Hagerty echoed Britt’s stance, criticizing Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) threats against Vulcan. “No nation or president…should be allowed to bully an American firm without consequences,” Hagerty said, emphasizing that the legislation would protect American businesses and reinforce the U.S. in trade negotiations with Mexico.
Senator Kaine also voiced his concerns, pointing out that AMLO has unfairly targeted Vulcan, which employs over 1,000 people in Virginia. “We must make it clear that this behavior will not be tolerated,” said Kaine. He warned that Mexico’s actions are harming its economic relationship with the U.S. and undermining investor confidence.
Senator Tuberville called out AMLO’s aggression toward Alabama-based Vulcan Materials, stating, “The continued escalation against Vulcan’s operation in Mexico is a disgrace to the longstanding trade agreement between our two countries.” Tuberville also criticized the Biden administration’s response to the situation.
Vulcan Materials, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, has faced escalating challenges in Mexico. In 2018, the company initiated arbitration under NAFTA, alleging harassment and unlawful shutdowns of its operations in Quintana Roo. In May 2022, Mexican military forces, under AMLO’s orders, forcibly shut down Vulcan’s production and port operations.
The situation escalated further on March 14, 2023, when Mexican military and police forces seized Vulcan’s port facility at Punta Venado at gunpoint. Senator Britt condemned the seizure, leading a bipartisan letter to Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S. Following this intervention, Mexican forces withdrew from the property.
Despite Vulcan’s presence in Mexico for more than 35 years, AMLO has continued to threaten the company with forced removal. The U.S. senators involved are urging the Mexican government to reverse its actions against Vulcan and find a mutually beneficial solution.
The Defending American Property Abroad Act represents a significant move by the U.S. Congress to protect American business interests abroad and address ongoing tensions with Mexico regarding property seizures.
