Obama, DOT May Revive Mexican Trucks Program
A day after a large government spending bill passed that included provision to end the U.S.-Mexican cross-border trucking program, the Obama administration has asked the Transportation Department to look into reviving it.
“The president has tasked [DOT] to work with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of State along with leaders in Congress and Mexican officials to propose legislation creating a new trucking project that will meet the legitimate concerns of Congress and our NAFTA commitments,” DOT said in a statement.
NAFTA is the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement among the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
DOT said that Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), who sponsored the amendment to end the program, “has written to us to express his willingness to work with the administration in good faith to address this issue.”
The pilot program started by the Bush administration allowed some Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways, beyond an approximately 25-mile border zone.
The Teamsters union and safety advocacy groups including Public Citizen have opposed the cross-border program, citing potential safety issues with Mexican trucks, and had voiced their approval of the earlier decision to scrap the program.
A Mexican embassy spokesman in Washington told the Associated Press that the U.S. was out of compliance with NAFTA provisions, but that Mexico was willing to work with Congress to find a solution.
The embassy said 103 Mexican trucks belonging to 26 carriers participated in the program, while 10 U.S. carriers, with 61 trucks, were allowed on Mexico’s roads so far under the program, AP reported.
