- Title: MEXICO: Mexico welcomes US proposal to open roads to Mexican trucks
- Date: 8th January 2011
- Summary: NUEVO LAREDO, TAMAULIPAS (JANUARY 6, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRUCKS ON ROAD IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT MORE OF TRUCKS ON ROAD IMMIGRATION OFFICERS TALKING TO A DRIVER VARIOUS OF TRUCKS PASSING TROUGH IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MAYOR OF NUEVO LAREDO, BENJAMIN GALVAN GOMEZ, SAYING: "We think it's a positive measure because not only M
- Embargoed: 23rd January 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico, Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: International Relations,Travel / Tourism
- Reuters ID: LVAEYSJ5UOGB7AZGR2APFE3M6XKR
- Story Text: Mexico has welcomed a U.S. move to permit long-haul trucks from Mexico on U.S. highways after years of delays over safety concerns and political wrangling.
The Transportation Department's compromise seeks to revive efforts to fulfill a key provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is highly unpopular with labor but supported by many businesses as a cost advantage.
The U.S. said the plan would be a starting point to renew negotiations with Mexico, which has slapped tariffs on U.S. products over the delay.
The Transportation Department said the plan, which would eventually need congressional and Mexican government approval, would prioritize safety and that a formal proposal is due to be announced in coming months.
The countries would negotiate the number of carriers allowed to participate in a first phase. Applicants would be vetted by U.S. law enforcement agencies. Trucking safety programs would be reviewed and each vehicle would be inspected and certified by highway safety and environmental officials.
Mexico said it would review the plan, calling it a positive first step, and said tariffs would be lifted after a trucking agreement is completed.
The mayor of Nuevo Laredo, Benjamin Galvan Gomez, said he thought the measure was a positive one.
"We think it's a positive measure because not only Mexican enterprises but also truck drivers are highly competitive; it is not by chance that Mexico's labor force and also drivers have excellent marks in terms of operation."
A member of a transportation association, Gerardo Robles Garcia, said the truck drivers ask for more freedom.
"We were asking for more freedom. They (US government) were asking us for too many things in order to operate over there. We have always said we are not a problem for the United States, we only want to work."
Currently, big rigs from Mexico must offload their goods near the border so U.S. trucks can haul them the rest of the way.
Allowing cross-border trucking could increase competition, add capacity in the domestic market, and offer other benefits to business.
Among the potential beneficiaries are farmers and livestock producers affected by the billions of dollars in tariffs on agricultural and other goods shipped to Mexico from the United States.
Mexico is a leading importer of U.S. pork, but currently it has a 5 percent duty on that product. It is widely believed the duty was applied in response to the trucking dispute. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None