Globalization: U.S., Mexico See End of Truck Dispute

U.S., Mexico See End of Truck Dispute - WSJ.com: "A program to allow Mexican trucks to operate in the U.S. could be 'up and running' in four to six months, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Monday, potentially ending a dispute between the two countries that has lasted more than a decade.

Speaking alongside Mexican and Canadian trade officials at an annual meeting under the North American Free Trade Agreement, Kirk said the U.S. 'would like to sit down and begin' negotiations with Mexico in the next week.

If that happens, if the U.S. Department of Transportation thinks an agreement to allow cross-border trucking can be reached, and if the U.S. Congress passes corresponding legislation, Mr. Kirk said a program could be 'up and running as quickly as within the next four to six months.|

The dispute arose in the 1990s due to the U.S. reluctance to enact a Nafta provision that would have permitted Mexican truckers to operate in the U.S. after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union voiced concerns about jobs and the safety of Mexican trucks.

Mexico's Economy Ministry estimates Mexico and the U.S. exchange goods worth $1 billion a day, 70% of it by ground. Truckers from Canada, the other Nafta trade partner, are allowed to carry loads to and from the U.S., while Mexico permits U.S. truckers to compete within its borders."Jan. 10, 2011