Border stunt by Texas governor hurts industry

The North American auto industry this month learned of another pinch point across its already-troubled supply network — one that directly or indirectly employs 7.1 million Americans and accounts for about 3.5 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.

That new pinch point? Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott happens to be up for reelection this year.

Attempting to aid himself politically, Abbott instituted "safety inspections" by state officials of every truck coming from Mexico in the name of "border security."

Keep in mind that the trucks' contents had already been X-rayed and thoroughly searched by federal authorities at the border. Abbott's mandate involved only things such as working turn signals and brake operations. But the result was a massive backup to cross-border commerce and an unnecessary delay by up to 30 hours delivering to customers in the U.S. — including automakers and their suppliers awaiting parts and goods.

After a week, Abbott abandoned the stunt on April 15, and commerce across the nation's southern border began to flow as before. But the damage was already done, and the same flawed strategy could be enacted again.

U.S., Canadian and Mexican citizens and businesses have reaped the benefits of largely unrestricted trade among the three countries since 1994. Even during the Trump administration, the North American Free Trade Agreement was renegotiated into the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and ratified.

Yet for the second time this year, the auto industry has seen vital commercial traffic across the continent's borders interrupted for political ends, at substantial cost and inconvenience. The Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario — the busiest crossing between the U.S. and Canada — was shut down for a week in February by truckers protesting national pandemic requirements.

Every citizen has an innate free speech right to protest, and protests sometimes are uncomfortable and cause economic disruptions. We hold the right to do so as sacrosanct.

Still, this industry relies on the ability to ship goods across international borders in a timely manner. We hope Abbott — and others — have learned that keeping people from doing their jobs is not only bad economics, it's bad politics.

Because the last thing this industry needs is another supply chain disruption.