Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) voted in favor of the Defending American Property Abroad (DAPA) Act, narrowly-tailored legislation that would protect the Birmingham-headquartered Vulcan Materials Company against continued attacks by the Government of Mexico. The bill passed the House today by a bipartisan vote of 247 to 164.

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“I am proud to support the Defending American Property Abroad Act,” said Rep. Sewell. “Since 2018, the President of Mexico used a number of illegal tactics to intimidate Vulcan Materials and their workers, including a military seizure of Vulcan-owned property in Mexico. I have worked closely with Vulcan in recent years as we pursued all diplomatic and legislative options, and I am glad the bill today passed with broad bipartisan support. I will continue to fight for all the workers in my district who have suffered from illegal trade actions by foreign nations.”

The DAPA Act would:

• Protect U.S. Assets Abroad: Seeks to deter and punish foreign government actions that seize, nationalize, or interfere
  with property or assets owned by U.S. persons.
• Expand Trade Act Protections: Amends Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to include expropriation of U.S. assets as grounds for trade enforcement action.
• Authorize U.S. Retaliation: Enables U.S. authorities to block imports and vessels from entering the U.S. from entities
  operating on expropriated or nationalized port infrastructure property that is owned by a U.S.
  company.

Background

On May 5, 2022, the Mexican government illegally shut down Vulcan’s operations via military force. In March of 2023, the Mexican government invaded and occupied Vulcan’s property again to benefit CEMEX, a private Mexican company.

On September 23, 2024 President López Obrador decreed the property a Naturally Protected Area (NPA) on September 23, 2024, precluding Vulcan from using its property for productive purposes. Now, the Government of Mexico is utilizing baseless criminal charges to re-invade Vulcan’s property and potentially seize Vulcan’s assets.

Shepherding the DAPA Act through the House is the latest in a series of steps taken by Rep. Sewell and her Alabama colleagues to defend Vulcan against attacks by the Mexican government. Rep. Sewell previously led Alabama's House delegation in a letter to Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena demanding a remedy to their illegal invasion and warning of consequences.

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