President George W. Bush plans to break down the last major barrier to trade with Mexico and give thousands of Mexican big-rig trucks full access to Southern California and the rest of the nation. Supporters say the move, which is opposed by a bipartisan group of House members from Southern California, is needed to fulfill the economic promise of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. Foes say the Bush plan will unleash a potentially lethal fleet of untrained drivers and unsafe trucks on Los Angeles freeways and streets. But we also want Mexico to abide by the same safety rules we do and that hasn't happened yet.
Mexican officials hold an opposite view.
We are in full compliance and there are no problems that I know of. The order, which allows U.S. subsidiaries of Mexican companies to set up their own trucking operations within the United States, instead of being required to use American trucking firms, is expected to have a minor impact on trade and highway safety. He said California-Mexico trade, up 192 percent over 1993 levels, could be greatly increased if cumbersome border rules were eliminated. U.S. critics charge that Mexico lacks adequate truck safety inspection systems and work rules for drivers. Both critics and supporters of open truck trade said California has by far the most stringent inspection system.