The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in regards to the motor transport sector is the history of an unfulfilled and violated treaty, on the part of the US government, which is the reason why in the process of renegotiation the Mexican government must go forward with a strong posture, and be on the offensive,
Eleven years ago when I started Mexico Trucker Online, I had no idea that a decade later we would still be debating the issue of Mexican trucks operating in the United States, but here we are. Opponents of allowing Mexico domiciled trucks into the US, an obligation we had under NAFTA are now turning to
After a three year hiatus where we heard nothing from Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Or) about the Cross Border Pilot Program, despite being one of it’s most outspoken critics at the behest of his handlers at Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), it appears he is back in the fold spouting the party line in opposition
In a surprising but not unanticipated move, the FMCSA granted the 13 Mexican motor carriers who participated recently concluded Cross Border Pilot Program with Mexico Standard Operating Authority meaning they can continue to conduct business in the United States beyond the commercial zones as they have been doing for the past 36 months. And as
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) latest attempt to shut down the successful Cross Border Pilot Program with Mexico. OOIDA contended that a federal appeals court erred when it said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could exempt Mexican and Canadian drivers from U.S. medical certification requirements. Last year
20 years after Mexico, Canada and the United States signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the folly of the United States failure to fully comply with the trucking provisions of NAFTA as they apply to Mexico is increasing tensions between the two countries. A few days ago, the consulting firm Standard & Poor’s released a study
Interesting, but not unsurprising news coming out of Mexico this week as T21mx, an industry trade magazine is reporting that CANACAR is vigorously pursuing ratification of it’s 2009 arbitration action against the United States for it’s willful non compliance with the trucking provisions of NAFTA. The lawsuit seeks compensation for all Mexican carriers who have
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters along with the Sierra Club today asked for a “En Banc” hearing on its challenge to the Department of Transportation’s cross-border trucking program with Mexico. An “En Banc” hearing is a request for a hearing before the full Court. A three judge panel in April denied the Teamsters and OOIDA’s
This morning, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals gave opponents of Cross Border Trucking yet another devastating yet unsurprising loss in their efforts to prevent Mexican trucks from operating in the United States. Not all Mexican trucks of which there are thousands with legal authority to operate, but a select few enrolled in the Cross
2014 will be the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and love it or hate it, what a ride it’s been, and the next 20 years will be even better. At the opening of the NAFTA 2.0 conference held in San Antonio this past week to commemorate 20 years since the signing
Election year politics and good old fashioned protectionism is at the heart of a move that could cost thousands of jobs in the United States and Mexico and force consumers to pay 3 to 4 times what they’re paying now for a pound of tomatoes. Ignoring warnings that it could ignite a trade war, the Obama
Express-News Editorial Board The United States is still recovering from the self-inflicted economic wounds of one unnecessary trade war with Mexico. Now is not the time to start another tiff with the nation’s third-largest trading partner and its second-largest export market. A year ago, the Obama administration restarted a long-delayed test program of a cross-border
Data released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month suggests that Mexican carriers and drivers still maintain a significant lead in safety over their US and Canadian counterparts. According to Jill Dunn, writing for E-Trucker The out-of-service rate for drivers of Mexican-domiciled CMVs inspected at the border during 2010 was just more than
Some groups never tire of seeking protection. One special interest with its hand perpetually out is the group led by Florida tomato growers. For decades they have been trying to stop tomatoes from Mexico from competing with them in the U.S. market. Never mind that Mexican tomatoes, because they are ripened in the field or
More political rhetoric? Pandering to his detractors or simply an honest assessment of his goals as Mexico’s next President? Mexico’s President elect, Enrique Pena Nieto submitted this op-ed piece to the New York Times this morning. On Sunday, Mexicans turned out in large numbers to vote for change — a change in priorities and approach,
Mexico’s strengthening economy underlies the glossy veneer on display as President Felipe Calderón hosts the Group of 20 leaders of major industrialized and emerging economies at the luxury beach resort of Los Cabos Mexico on Monday and Tuesday. The G-20 is meant to serve as the premier voice of economic coordination, representing not just traditional
By Cheryl Koompin - American Falls, Idaho Amid all the partisan fights in Washington over budgets and debt ceilings, the Obama administration quietly solved a $2-billion problem earlier this month. On July 6, the United States signed an agreement with Mexico that ends a vexing dispute over trade and trucks. It wipes out Mexican tariffs
Time for readers and other interested parties to call their assorted Senators and Congress critters and ask them to support the proposed Cross Border Pilot Program with Mexico which would bring the United States into compliance with it’s international obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The legal retaliatory tariff’s Mexico but on
“We’re as close as you can be,” Mexican Economy Minister Bruno Ferrari said yesterday, confirming that his country is preparing to sign the formal Cross Border Trucking agreement to end the trucking dispute with the U.S. as early as this month, setting the stage for the country to remove the punitive tariffs that have cost 25,000
MEXICO TRUCKER ONLINE is pleased to help educate members of the TEAMSTERS who seem to lack the wherewithal to find answers to question on their own about the upcoming Mexican Cross Border Pilot Program. Today, they made a post titled Truck driving champ says ‘NO’ to Mexican trucks where it appears a TEAMSTERS member and
That’s the question posed on the blog “ALL THAT’S TRUCKING” as she writes about the many nasty, racially tinged comments being thrown about as the red hot debate over Mexican cross border trucking heats up once again, and the usual actors, OOIDA, TEAMSTERS and their allies in talk radio fan the flames of their listeners
The deadline for comments on FMCSA’s Proposed Cross Border Pilot Program ended Friday night at 23:59 with results being about as we suspected. 1,580 comments were submitted compared with 2,359 submitted in 2007. Very few of them provided salient objections as to why FMCSA should not proceed with the proposal. According to FMCSA, the purpose
