Thread: Mexican Truckers File $6 Billion Claim Against U.S. in Nafta

JUNE 2, 2009
Mexican Truckers File $6 Billion Claim Against U.S. in Nafta Comments (1)
By JOSE DE CORDOBA

MEXICO CITY -- A Mexican trade association representing more than 4,500 trucking companies is seeking $6 billion in damages from the U.S. government because of Washington's refusal to allow Mexican trucks to carry cargo over U.S. roads.

The group, Canacar, filed a demand for arbitration under the North American Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. State Department in April, but didn't publicize the move until Monday.

"We want reciprocity," said Pedro Ojeda, a lawyer for Canacar. "The U.S. has notoriously not kept its commitments." Mr. Ojeda said the complaint is the largest such demand made under Nafta, as the 1993 pact is known.

Deborah Mesloh, a spokeswoman for U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, said Monday that, "We take our trade obligations very seriously and this is an issue we've been working on for a couple months." A State Department spokesman said the claim is "being studied."

The arbitration demand is the latest fallout from legislation signed earlier this year by President Barack Obama canceling a pilot program that had allowed Mexican trucks to carry cargo on U.S. roads. In March, the Mexican government retaliated by slapping tariffs on $2.4 billion of U.S. goods.

Affected U.S. industries, many facing import duties of 10% to 20% of a product's value, have been urging the administration to resolve the spat. "During this time of historical job loss, we should be doing everything we can as a country to ensure commerce and trade flow as freely as possible," said Scott Openshaw, a Grocery Manufacturers Association spokesman.

Canacar said its members have lost money and missed business opportunities because Mexican truckers have been restricted to operating within 25 miles of the border on the U.S. side. Mexico City's position is that this restriction violates Nafta.

Nafta called for creating a trans-border trucking program by 2000. But it never materialized mainly because of opposition from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and its allies in Congress, who have argued that Mexican trucks are unsafe, that some drivers don't know English, and that Mexican authorities don't keep adequate safety records on drivers.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been working with members of Congress, industry officials and union representatives to craft a new program that would satisfy safety concerns and reopen the roads to Mexican-based truckers.

Mr. LaHood said on May 21 that his proposal contains "good metrics" for testing the safety of Mexican trucks and assuring that drivers are properly licensed.

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D., N.D.) inserted the language that killed the cross-border trucking program into a spending bill this year. A spokesman declined to comment on the issue Monday.

—Christopher Conkey contributed to this article.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124390544386374905.html

get out of NAFTA CAFTA and any other goof ball agreements made between the Bushes and Clinton

let the Mexican goods rot in Mexico

IS a HUGE part of the Bilderberg's plan for a NAU...Who do you think the Federal government is listening to? YOU and I, or the Richest, most powerful people in the world?

MEXICO CITY -- A Mexican trade association representing more than 4,500 trucking companies is seeking $6 billion in damages from the U.S. government because of Washington's refusal to allow Mexican trucks to carry cargo over U.S. roads.

Get all illegal Mexicans out of the United States by trucking them to the border for the Mexican truckers to have cargo.

NO BROKEN DOWN MEXICANS TRUCKS INTO THE UNITED STATES.

Maybe President Obama has a workable plan for the borders. INTERESTING

I thought one of Obama's promises was to renegotiate part of NAFTA?

"We want reciprocity," said Pedro Ojeda, a lawyer for Canacar. "The U.S. has notoriously not kept its commitments." Mr. Ojeda said the complaint is the largest such demand made under Nafta, as the 1993 pact is known.

This is such crap, these people should have never been let on our roads in the first place, they are the ones who never fullfilled the agreement to begin with.

Their drivers must read and speak English...Most don't

Their trucks have to pass the same safety test as Americans....they don't

They don't have the ability in Mexico to do back ground checks in compliance with the agreement....so they don't

I could go on but you get the jest, they are accusing us of not fulfilling an agreement they have never fullfilled.

And last but not least our congress never agreed to anything in this agreement..Clinton took it upon himself and that should not be allowed nor should we have to go through with it.

Stick your lawsuit...they think we are an open back account for them, all of them and with friends like that we sure as hell don't need any enemys.

I'd like to know their standing to sue in a U.S. court. Looks to me like they want their piece of the stimulus money.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

I'd like to know their standing to sue in a U.S. court. Looks to me like they want their piece of the stimulus money.

Their "standing" to sue is spelled out in NAFTA and has precedent in other international treaty obligations and laws.

As the plaintiff and "injured party", they can sue a government entity or specific agency. This is internationally recognized law.

Sorry, but just because they're Mexican doesn't mean they have any less rights than other nationalities

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4269--0-0.html

Originally Posted by ccsingleton

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

I'd like to know their standing to sue in a U.S. court. Looks to me like they want their piece of the stimulus money.

Their "standing" to sue is spelled out in NAFTA and has precedent in other international treaty obligations and laws.

As the plaintiff and "injured party", they can sue a government entity or specific agency. This is internationally recognized law.

Sorry, but just because they're Mexican doesn't mean they have any less rights than other nationalities

If so, then we can countersue on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who have spent much more than $6 billion to support many of Mexico's citizens and provided healthcare, education, and employment. We can make a deal with them and subtract the $6 billion they claim we owe them from the $156 billion they owe us.


Oops, I had to edit this, I waaaay UNDERESTIMATED the amount Mexico owes us for supporting their citizens, it is actually $338 billion, not $156 billion. So we'll subtract the $6 billion for which they're suing us, from the $338 billion they owe us. The source of this right here:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-853342-.html#853342