Mexico’s Largest Transport, Agriculture Protest Settled

After three days of nationwide highway blockades, the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC) and the National Front for the Rescue of Mexican Farmland (FNRCM) confirmed late Thursday that they reached an agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, formally ending one of the largest coordinated demonstrations of the year.

The mobilization, which began Monday, 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—and involved transporters, rural producers, and freight sector organizations demanding stronger highway security and fairer conditions for the agricultural sector.

In a social media message, ANTAC conveyed the urgency behind the strike: “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.”

Surge in Cargo Theft

The blockades occurred amid rising road insecurity. Official data from the Executive Ministry of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) shows a 14.71% national increase in cargo theft in 2025. Four of the five most affected states recorded sharp increases: Michoacan (+208%), Oaxaca (+66.6%), Puebla (+8.3%), and the State of Mexico (+8%), while San Luis Potosi saw a slight decline of 2.27%.

Between January and October, 81.89% of robberies against truck drivers involved violence. Private risk analysis firm AssistCargo identified the most stolen goods as food and beverages (28%), construction materials (11%), textiles (10%), auto parts (9%), electronics (8%), and technology (7%). With holiday demand increasing, theft of electronics, textiles, liquor, and agricultural products is expected to rise further.

Key Points of the Agreement

The agreement was formalized during a working session at the Ministry of the Interior in Mexico City, with representatives from SADER, CONAGUA, and other federal agencies. Commitments are divided into three areas:

Agricultural Sector

• Publish operational rules for the Spring–Summer 2024 and Fall–Winter 2024–2025 wheat cycles within 15 days, including extensions during system downtime.

• Provide a 21-day window for farmers previously excluded from maize or wheat payment cycles to request a review, with SADER resolving and paying cases within 45 days.

• Establish a public-policy dialogue table beginning Dec. 8 to review commercialization policies for grains, oilseeds, and strategic crops, including participation from the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and the new Alimentación para el Bienestar program.

Water Management

• Both parties appended a document detailing observations, clarifications, and proposals on reforms to the National Water Law, which will be reviewed jointly.

Transport Sector

The Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) committed to:

• Opening security working groups to address ANTAC’s demands, including the closure of irregular road access points and identification of high-risk corridors.

• Restoring medical appointments, driver’s license renewals, vehicle re-registration, and physical-mechanical certifications, while reviewing associated costs.

• Requesting state legislatures to create specialized prosecutors’ offices for transport-related crimes.

• Preventing states from installing checkpoints or mobile inspection units on federal highways unless coordinated with the National Guard.

• Convening a security roundtable with ANTAC, the National Guard (GN), and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) to address the zones with the highest crime incidence.

Industry Reactions and Economic Impact

Industry leaders warn that although the strike has ended, its effects will take days to resolve.

According to La Jornada, Rogelio Arzate, Executive President, National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor Manufacturers (ANPACT), expressed concern that prolonged disruptions could trigger technical stoppages at assembly plants due to delayed inputs and halted outbound shipments. The most affected regions include the Bajio, Baja California, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon, all key manufacturing hubs integrated with US supply chains.

The Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (CONCANACO SERVYTUR) noted in a press release that the economic impact of the blockades is already significant. 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.

The Confederation stressed that this figure is a “prudent estimate” intended to illustrate the magnitude of the damage while a negotiated solution is implemented—a solution that should not continue shifting the burden onto companies and households.