Obama Pledges to Solve U.S.-Mexican Trucking Dispute
President Obama told Mexican President Felipe Calderon he is committed to resolving a dispute over Mexican truck access to U.S. highways, Bloomberg reported Monday.
Obama said he will also address safety concerns about the trucks that have been raised by Congress, an administration official said after the two leaders met in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday in a weekend summit among North American leaders, Bloomberg said.
Calderon told Obama that the dispute has hurt trade, raised consumer costs and reduced job creation, according to a Mexican statement, Bloomberg reported.
Mexican trucks have been allowed to operate in a border zone within about 25 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Department of Transportation under the Bush administration began a pilot program in 2007 allowing some Mexican carriers to operate on all U.S. roads.
Congress suspended that program in March and a group of Mexican truckers in June said they would sue the U.S. for $6 billion over trade concerns related to the prohibition, which they said violates the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement.
Obama, Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will conclude their summit Monday.
