Lawmakers call for stricter curbs on Mexican trucks

SALEM- Flanked by representatives from the Marion County Sheriff's Department, the Oregon AFL-CIO, and Teamsters Local 206 and 324, U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio and Darlene Hooley called on Oregon lawmakers to find emergency funding in the state budget to help pay for more inspectors to enforce state transportation laws.

Their statement, made at a press conference March 5 at the State Capitol, came in response to a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) arbitration panel ruling last month ordering the United States to open its border to Mexican trucks by March 8, or face penalties of up to $2 billion for violating the agreement.

The U.S./Mexico border has essentially been closed to the Mexican trucking industry (travel is limited to a 20-mile zone north of the border) by order of former President Bill Clinton - who acted at the urging of 258 members of Congress and 48 senators. Mexico's trucking industry is notorious for its lax safety and environmental standards, and lawmakers fear for the safety of motorists on U.S. soil, as well as increased drug trafficking.

Under the free trade agreement, trucks from Mexico were supposed to be able to travel without restrictions throughout the United States by January 2000. Mexico challenged Clinton's order before a NAFTA panel (a secret tribunal of five unelected trade attorneys), who said the United States cannot bar the trucks, but can enforce safety standards that don't have to be the same as those it enforces for U.S. and Canadian trucks.

Newly-elected President George W. Bush could refuse to allow the trucks in and negotiate compensation with Mexico, including trade sanctions, but the White House told the Associated Press that Bush supports opening U.S. highways to the trucks.

"If the U.S. abides by this NAFTA ruling, it will mean a dramatic increase in heavy, high speed trucks barreling up I-5 into Oregon," said DeFazio, a Springfield Democrat and an outspoken critic of NAFTA.

Last year, almost four million trucks registered in Mexico crossed the U.S. border within the 20-mile zone. Of that number, less than 1 percent were inspected for safety violations and of those that were, 35 percent were taken out of service because they had significant safety violations. With the NAFTA ruling it is estimated that an additional three million Mexican trucks will enter the U.S. with no travel restrictions.

U.S. trucking regulations such as load limits and hours of service are not enforced in Mexico and drivers, who can be as young as 18, work for as little as $7 a day, DeFazio said.

"These rumbling death traps, with these drivers who are often forced to work 16-hour days, are considerably heavier than American trucks, are rarely labeled when they carry hazardous materials and come from a country that has a vehicle fatality rate three times higher than the U.S." he said.

"NAFTA shouldn't be a vehicle to weaken U.S. safety laws, or another way for drug cartels to expand their operations to Main Street Salem," said Hooley, a free trade supporter. "I can guarantee problems will get worse."

DeFazio and Hooley joined the Teamsters and national AFL-CIO calling on Bush and Congress to maintain the current ban on the Mexican trucks.

In the meantime, the Oregon lawmakers want the state to find the money to hire more truck inspectors at the California/Oregon border to enforce transportation laws and keep the roads safer for Oregon drivers.

DeFazio and Hooley also have co-sponsored legislation to allow border states authority to charge a fee for trucks coming from Mexico in order to pay for additional inspectors.