Mexican Truckers Might Start Heading North Soon
Mexican trucks could be crossing the border by this summer to deliver goods into the United States.
The Obama administration is working on the final details of a program that would smooth out some of the kinks in a program that was supposed to be up and running by now.
On March 4, the United States and Mexico unveiled a way to end the 20-year ban on Mexican trucks into this country even though Mexican trucks were to be allowed into the United States by now under the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1994. Mexican trucks will be required to carry electronic recorders to make sure they only undertake cross-border transfers and don’t add on domestic deliveries, competing with U.S. truckers. Also, Mexican trucks must comply with U.S. safety standards and regulations.
A pilot program was launched in 2007 under the Bush administration, allowing temporary access for Mexican truckers into the United States. But that was canceled two years later when Congress ended funding for the program.
In retaliation, Mexico imposed $2.4 billion in tariffs on 99 U.S. goods—such as strawberries, apples, pork, wine and equipment— exported into that country. Half the tariffs will be revoked once a deal is signed in about two months. The other half will disappear after the first Mexican hauler complies with a series of U.S. certification requirements, including English-language drug and safety tests, and crosses the border.
After Mexico imposed its retaliatory tariffs, the Obama administration started to hear from disgruntled agricultural and business exporters who were being hurt by the monetary barriers. U.S. officials were worried that Mexico might expand its retaliatory tariffs to other products that would further hurt U.S. companies.
The new deal allowing Mexican truckers to cross the borders must be approved by Congress. —Deborah Belgum
