Mexico Ends Rotating Tariffs in Truck Dispute
Mexico will maintain its existing tariffs on U.S. goods but will stop rotating tariffs on other products in a gesture to end the ongoing dispute over the U.S. cross-border trucking program, the Associated Press reported.
Mexican Economy Secretary Bruno Ferrari called the move a show of goodwill following a U.S. Department of Transportation announcement last week that DOT will seek to end the impasse over the status of allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. roads, AP said.
Ferrari made his comments after meeting U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Monday, AP said. The Mexican government has protested the U.S. ban on Mexican trucks as a violation of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.
Kirk said the tariffs have caused U.S. companies about $2 billion in commercial losses, AP reported.
DOT’s said last week said it would consider reopening U.S. roads to Mexican trucking companies if they met certain conditions including a safety audit, meeting U.S. emissions standards and driver background checks, AP reported.
Mexico, which currently has tariffs on 99 U.S. products, put the tariffs on U.S. goods in 2009 after Congress passed a measure failing to renew the pilot program between the two countries after U.S. safety and labor groups cited safety and environmental concerns.
