WASHINGTON — Alabama’s entire congressional delegation helped pass legislation in the U.S. House last week to safeguard U.S. companies, including Vulcan Materials, from expropriation by Mexico or other foreign countries.
Over the past few years, Mexico has targeted Vulcan’s properties on the country’s Caribbean coast, which has threatened the company’s business, Alabama lawmakers have said. They also argue that Mexico’s actions violate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
In 2023, Mexico’s government invaded and seized the company’s port facility. A year later, Mexico’s Interior Department issued a decree declaring Vulcan’s seaport and quarries as a natural protected area to prohibit the company’s operations on its land.
The Defending American Property Abroad Act aims to push back on those attacks by deterring and punishing foreign countries that seize, nationalize or interfere with property or assets owned by U.S. businesses.
The legislation was passed on a bipartisan basis last Thursday, with 41 Democrats joining Republicans to support it. All of Alabama’s delegation voted for the measure.
“Mexico’s actions undermine not only property rights, but also our supply chain,” U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Birmingham, said on the House floor. “The illegal action is more like an action by a cartel than it is a trustworthy government, and it raises serious questions about entering into any agreements with Mexico.”
Throughout the dispute, bipartisan Alabama lawmakers in the House and Senate have sent letters and met with Mexican officials about the seizure.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said it’s time for Congress to act after “Vulcan has attempted to use all existing legal and diplomatic options to resolve this situation.”
“This narrowly tailored bill will target vessels that attempt to enter into the U.S. after moving through a seized American-owned port,” Sewell said.
The legislation will also expand Trade Act protections to include expropriation of U.S. assets as grounds for trade enforcement action.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, called Mexico’s actions towards Vulcan Materials a “nightmare scenario” for the Alabama-based company and other U.S.-based businesses.
“Every day countries are allowed to seize American property undeterred, our country’s national and economic security is threatened,” Rogers said in a statement. “This legislation ensures protection for American companies as they operate throughout the Western Hemisphere, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”
Alabama lawmakers emphasized that the attacks on Vulcan Materials represent a broader threat to American businesses and workers by foreign governments.
The bill now moves to the Senate. U.S. Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, R-Ala., are cosponsors of the Senate version.