AUSTIN, Texas — The logjam of trucks at the U.S.-Mexico border finally began breaking April 14 after nearly a week as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott eased off his latest dramatic action over immigration that has gridlocked some of the world’s busiest trade ports and taken a mounting economic toll.

The Department of Transportation has released $44 billion for rural infrastructure, an announcement that reinforced a White House commitment and aligned with a visit by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to a small Indiana river port.

Amazon delivered more than 5 billion packages in the U.S. in 2021, while UPS delivered roughly 5.5 billion U.S. packages, according to company figures and industry estimates. Amazon has said it could surpass UPS this year, and it’s not alone in that prediction.

The discomfort of drivers having to wait long hours to enter Texas from Mexico should be considered amid the focus on freight delays resulting from Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent directive to enhance border safety inspections, says the head of the Texas Trucking Association.

Manufacturers, retailers and seafood distributors have increasingly turned to air cargo planes to transport products — a more expensive, but faster and more reliable alternative to longhaul trucks, trains and ocean vessels often bogged down by current supply chain problems.

In his first letter to Amazon shareholders, CEO Andy Jassy offered a defense of the wages and benefits the company gives its warehouse workers while also vowing to improve injury rates inside the facilities.

XPO Logistics Inc. CEO Brad Jacobs said that the transportation-specific economy remains strong but is slowing and not as vibrant as it was earlier in the year.

Mexican semi-truck exports to the U.S. have slumped 80% in a matter of days as a border blockade to protest Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s stepped-up vehicle inspections drags on.

Texas will halt some vehicle inspections at the U.S.-Mexico border after a protest against Gov. Greg Abbott’s crackdown provoked protests that halted some crucial food and equipment shipments.

With negotiations expected to begin soon between the 22,000-member International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, ILWU leaders are expressing confidence that the two sides will reach an agreement — without an interruption in work — before the June 30 deadline for the current contract expiration.