US Releases Proposal on Opening Roads to Mexican Trucks

VOA Breaking News (Voice of America)
January 7, 2011 at 1:32 am

The Obama administration has released a new proposal for allowing Mexican long-haul trucks onto U.S. highways, following delays due in part, to safety concerns.

The Department of Transportation Thursday released the proposal, which lays out in general terms conditions that the trucks would have to meet. The plan calls for an inspection and monitoring system for the trucks and drivers crossing the border into the United States. Additionally, it calls for a safety audit that would include driver background checks and ensuring the vehicles meet U.S. emissions standards.

The DOT has described the plan as a starting point into renewed negotiations with Mexico on the issue of cross-border trucking.

The U.S.Teamsters, labor union voiced disappointment with the proposal. Teamsters President Jim Hoffa issued a statement saying the plan threatens jobs, highway safety and border security. But, the National Association of Manufacturers welcomed the proposal.

In March 2009, the U.S. government scrapped a pilot program that allowed Mexican trucks to haul goods deep into the United States. Opponents had argued that Mexican trucks do not meet U.S. safety standards. That same month, Mexico, imposed tariffs on more than $2 billion worth of U.S. exports in retaliation, calling the U.S. decision a clear violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

Last August, Mexico imposed tariffs on U.S. pork products and other goods in the ongoing dispute.