US Senate Introduces Legislation Amid Deep-Sea Port Controversy
The ongoing dispute regarding the seizure of deep-sea ports owned by Balkan Materials has prompted the US Senate to propose legislation aimed at preventing retaliation by a Western hemisphere country that unlawfully appropriates American assets.
Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, along with Senator Bill Hagerty and their colleagues, have reintroduced the bipartisanship Observe the American Property Abroad Act of 2025.
This seizure, which occurred in 2022, is viewed as a notable violation in the context of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that governs trade relations between the two nations.
Senators such as Marsha Blackburn, Ted Budd, Tim Kaine, and Roger Wicker have also co-sponsored the legislation. In the House of Representatives, Rep. August Pfluger has introduced similar legislation.
Britt (R-Montgomery) remarked, “The threat posed by the Mexican government to the legally permitted US-owned deep-sea ports continues unabated, even with a new president in office. Mexico’s ongoing violations of international law jeopardize both economic and national security for the US and Alabama, and we are committed to upholding the rule of law.”
The proposed law would grant the Department of Homeland Security the authority to deny entry to US ports if they have previously utilized ports, land, or infrastructure seized unlawfully by foreign countries within the Western Hemisphere.
Moreover, US trade officials would have the ability to investigate and address actions by foreign governments that fail to provide fair treatment to American businesses, including instances of expropriation, nationalization, or seizure of US assets.
“For years, the Mexican government has aggressively targeted American companies, especially in relation to Alabama’s Balkan Materials,” noted Tuberville (R-Auburn). He added that the ongoing attempts to exploit Balkan activities in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula represent a dishonorable aspect of a long-term trade agreement.
He expressed optimism about the bill’s progression, emphasizing the necessity of protecting American businesses.
Balkan Materials, based in Birmingham, initiated NAFTA arbitration against Mexico in 2018 due to harassment and unlawful changes to land use, leading to the closure of operations on parts of its Quintana Roo property. In May 2022, Mexican troops ordered by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) fully shut down production and port operations on the Balkan property.
On March 14, 2023, Mexican military forces and police seized the Balkan Material Company’s port facility in Punta Benado, Quintana Roo, by force.
The Alabama Delegation continues to support Balkan in its conflict with Mexico. Last year, Senators Tuberville, Britt, Hagerty, and Kaine sent a letter to Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena, urging the government to act against the abuses faced by Balkan Materials.
