Cross-border plan unveiled

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Jan. 6 provided Congress and Mexico with a proposal for a long-haul cross-border Mexican trucking program. He says it emphasizes safety and satisfies the United States’ obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trucks cross the World Trade Bridge over the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas. An informal proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation would require safety inspections and ongoing reviews for Mexican carriers that want to operate in the U.S.

The proposal outlines the steps Mexican carriers would have to take, including a comprehensive safety audit and vetting process, before being granted access to operate in the U.S. Carriers that would be phased in to the program would undergo several inspections and reviews to monitor their continued safe operation in the U.S.

Bill Graves, American Trucking Associations president and CEO, said the U.S. announcement “is a positive development in resolving this costly trade dispute with Mexico.” Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, however, said it would rob American truckers of jobs and that Mexico lacks U.S. regulatory standards.

After a pilot program was terminated in March 2009, Mexico responded by placing tariffs on U.S. products.

After the ban in 2009, LaHood and other Obama Administration officials met with lawmakers, safety advocates, industry representatives and other stakeholders to address concerns. The DOT says the recent proposal addresses questions raised during that process.

Mexico’s economic secretary Bruno Ferrari said his nation is seeking a permanent cross-border trucking agreement. Jose Luis Paz Vega, who heads Mexico’s trade and NAFTA office in Washington D.C., said Mexico was unwilling to accept another pilot project, according to a November Congressional report.