Mexico Reaches Deal to Pause Road Protests Before Peak Season

Mexico faced renewed nationwide disruptions on Dec. 17 as farmer and freight transport organizations launched a new round of mobilizations and road protests. The strike was suspended following negotiations formally announced on Dec. 18, easing immediate risks to supply chains during the peak year-end holiday season.

The Government of Mexico confirmed that working sessions with representatives of the National Front for the Rescue of Mexican Farmland (FNRCM) and the freight transport sector resulted in a set of agreements addressing urgent agricultural demands and long-standing highway security concerns.

Negotiations Defuse Immediate Supply-Chain Risk

According to an official statement, the talks were coordinated by the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, and the National Guard.

Authorities  said sustained dialogue and inter-institutional coordination are essential to guaranteeing free transit, rural stability, and road safety, particularly as freight and passenger traffic increases in December.

A central component of the agreement focused on highway security—one of the primary drivers behind the mobilizations. The government committed to reinforcing its operational presence on federal and state highways, providing escorts and monitoring along high-risk corridors, and expanding the use of technological tools to protect transport operators, producers, and the general public.

The meeting with the FNRCM was led by Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué and Deputy Interior Minister César Centeno.

Agricultural Measures and Trade Commitments

Beyond security, the agreement established a roadmap to address structural challenges in the agricultural sector.

On Dec. 18, SADER and Alimentación para el Bienestar received a technical delegation from the FNRCM to begin discussions on price-support mechanisms (pignoración) for staple crops, including beans, corn, sorghum, wheat, barley, and soy.

Producers will also be incorporated into the Mexican System for Market and Corn Commercialization Planning, responding to demands for greater transparency and producer participation.

In addition, the government confirmed the creation of a formal institutional channel to analyze issues related to the USMCA (T-MEC) under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, while prioritizing attention to collection centers and food supply logistics.

What Triggered the Strike—Again

On Dec. 15, the FNRCM, together with the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC) and the Peasant Agricultural Movement (MAC), announced plans for renewed protests on Dec. 17, aimed at forcing what they describes as a definitive solution to Mexico’s agrarian crisis.

The organizations warned that, absent concrete commitments, the movement could escalate into a national strike, arguing that years of dialogue have failed to deliver fair prices, water security, and economic viability for rural producers.

A Recurring Conflict

The mobilization marks a renewed escalation of protests that disrupted the country just weeks earlier. In November, farmers and transporters organized by ANTAC and the FNRCM blocked highways for three consecutive days.

That earlier mobilization, which began on Nov. 24, 2025, affected more than 25 states—including Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Queretaro, Sonora, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Puebla— The protests involved transport operators, rural producers, and logistics organizations demanding stronger highway security, protection against cargo theft, and fairer economic conditions.

During the November strike, ANTAC posted a message on social media underscoring the urgency behind the action: “We regret that peaceful protest is the only way for our demands to be heard, but today we know that the only way to avoid being robbed, extorted, killed, or disappeared on the highways is by staying off those roads… Every day, between 35 and 40 transport operators fall victim to a crime.”

The recurrence of blockades highlights the structural nature of the crisis, linking rural profitability, public security, and logistics resilience.

In terms of the impact, the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (CONCANACO SERVYTUR) said the November blockades caused significant losses. Based on public reports from authorities and business groups, the organization estimated “conservative accumulated losses between MX$3 billion (US$163.4 million) and MX$6 billion (US$326.8 million) from Nov. 19 to 26,” across at least 29 road closures in 17 states.

Farmers Accept Dialogue—With Conditions

As new demonstrations began on Dec. 17, the FNRCM issued a statement addressed to the federal government, the National Agricultural Council (CNA), and the public, signaling a willingness to engage in dialogue—but only under strict transparency conditions.

The coalition demanded negotiations at the Congress of the Union in San Lázaro, with live broadcasts via the Congressional Channel and social media. Closed-door talks, the group argued, have historically favored commercial and financial interests over those of small and medium-scale producers.

Among its core concerns, the FNRCM questioned the proposed National System for Agricultural Planning and Commercialization, warning that financing and insurance mechanisms must not disproportionately benefit banks or large intermediaries. It also challenged claims that the USMCA is not a factor in the crisis, arguing that Mexican producers continue to compete against heavily subsidized counterparts in the United States and Canada.

“The peace of the countryside is built with fair prices, not desk-bound promises,” the statement said, calling on President Claudia Sheinbaum, Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué, and CNA leadership to publicly commit to negotiations.

CANACAR Warns of Holiday-Season Risks

In response, the National Chamber of Freight Transport (CANACAR) issued a warning on Dec. 16, expressing concern over the potential resumption of highway blockades as the year-end holiday period begins.

CANACAR cautioned that road closures—on federal or state highways—would have severe consequences for the population and the national economy, particularly given the seasonal surge in passenger and freight movement. The chamber warned of logistics delays, multimillion-peso losses, shortages of essential goods, and disruptions to productive activity, while emphasizing the constitutional right to free transit.

The organization stressed that freight transport is a strategic pillar of Mexico’s economy, responsible for distributing most food, medicines, fuels, and industrial inputs nationwide. Any deliberate disruption, it said, poses an immediate threat to supply-chain stability during periods of heightened demand.