Mexico's border open for trade

Mexico`s Foreign Minister announces tourists are banned from crossing the shared border with the United States, but there`s an agreement that trade, commerce and medical trips will continue.

By James Blears

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard made this announcement, following talks with his US counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mexico gains one billion dollars daily from cross border trade with the United States, plus spin-offs via the busiest national crossing point in the World. A total hermetically sealed closure would have been economically catastrophic, especially as Mexico`s Peso is already in freefall, trading at almost twenty-five to the dollar, having lost virtually ten per cent of its value in as many days.

Ebrard explains that tourism and recreation is now restricted and Pompeo concurs: "Together we can reduce public health risks and prioritize essential cross border commerce and trade." And basically, a similar compromise policy now applies to Canada.

The new strictures rather than restrictions came into force at one minute past midnight. So the Border is still porous, albeit it for financial and medical factors. However, Spring break which annually sees tens of thousands of US and other citizens flocking to Cancun and the Maya Rivera is gone for this year.

But perhaps not the next?

Listen to the report by James Blears