US Quarry Company Battles Mexican Government Over Caribbean Land Expropriation

An Alabama-based quarry company, Vulcan Materials, has accused the Mexican government of illegally expropriating its property in the Caribbean. The Mexican authorities declared the company's seaport and quarries a protected area, hindering operations. Disputes have escalated under President Lopez Obrador, with Vulcan promising to fight the decree via legal channels.

On Tuesday, an Alabama-based quarry firm, Vulcan Materials, alleged that the Mexican government had effectively expropriated its properties on the Caribbean coast, branding the move illegal and a violation of international trade agreements.

Mexico's Interior Department had issued a decree on Monday night converting the company's seaport and quarries into a natural protected area, essentially halting Vulcan's activities on its land. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had earlier threatened to seize the property, later offering to purchase it for USD 385 million.

Vulcan Materials criticized the decree, stating it fails to resemble a true nature reserve and has pledged to fight back through "all available legal channels." Such actions, the company claims, threaten to paralyze trade and investment relations between Mexico and the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)