Thread: Mexico could retaliate if U.S. blocks trucks, Kolbe warns

Published: 11.30.2007

Mexico could retaliate if U.S. blocks trucks, Kolbe warns
By Gabriela Rico
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Did you know …

The Canamex Trade Corridor, defined by Congress as a "High Priority Corridor," runs from Mexico City to Edmonton, Alberta.

In Arizona, the Canamex Corridor follows I-19 from Nogales to Tucson; I-10 from Tucson to Phoenix; and U.S. Route 93 to Las Vegas and follows I-15 to Edmonton.

The $240 million Hoover Dam Bypass project on U.S. Route 93 is part of the corridor project.

Source: 1995 National Highway Systems Designation Act
Economic retaliation from Mexico is a real threat if U.S. lawmakers repeal a provision that allows Mexican truckers access to the U.S. interior, according to former U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe.

"If Congress succeeds in blocking (the program) I believe Mexico could retaliate, as they are entitled to do," the Arizona Republican told members of the Southern Arizona Logistics Education Organization in Tucson on Thursday.

Kolbe, who retired at the beginning of the year after 11 terms in Congress, is the new chairman of the Canamex Corridor Task Force and part of a three-member committee appointed to monitor the cross-border truck program, which has faced strong opposition from some trucking union members and politicians.

He warned that if our southern neighbors "lose patience," U.S. companies could face higher tariffs on trade entering Mexico.

"It's not an idle threat," Kolbe said. "And it sends a bad message to Mexico and Latin America about how seriously we take our obligations."

The trucking program, a provision of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, began in September. Before that, Mexican trucks were restricted to driving within a commercial border zone.

Attempts by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to block the entry of Mexican trucks into the U.S. failed. The Senate then approved a proposal prohibiting the Transportation Department from spending money on the program, but it continues while Congress debates a larger transportation bill that contains the provision.

Earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, announced it would install satellite-tracking devices on trucks from the United States and Mexico to monitor them as they pick up and deliver loads — a decision made after members of Congress questioned participants' compliance with U.S. safety and trade laws, said Melissa Mazzella DeLaney, an FMCSA spokeswoman.

Kolbe said only seven companies from Mexico have signed up for the program because of the uncertainty of its future. He said the melee is indicative of the attitude toward Mexico, free trade and globalization.
"Nothing's changed," he said. "I'm still talking about free trade while other members of Congress are talking about closing down the border."

Kolbe was recently appointed to chair the Canamex Corridor Task Force by Gov. Janet Napolitano. The corridor, which runs from Mexico City through Tucson north to Edmonton, Alberta, is a federally designated "high priority" route for the movement of trade.

The act of facilitating this commerce strikes fear in some hearts and spurs talk of a "continental merger" and "North America union," Kolbe said.
"It's a silly idea," he said, and he implored members of the Tucson logistics group to be proactive and to go out in their communities to talk to residents and politicians about the importance of trade to Southern Arizona.

For example, Kolbe said, the inland port idea in Tucson must be pushed along.

After a decade in the hands of the city, the inland port project, known as Puerto Nuevo, folded this summer and the concept was moved to the economic development group Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., which said it would take the next year to continue studying the idea.
"It's one thing that we clearly need to do," Kolbe said. "But we haven't gotten our act together."

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/214003

It appears as though NumbersUSA has since 'unlisted' Kolbe from their grade listing, but IIRC, his overall grade on immigration-related issues was either an F or a D. ...just FYI (eg. 'consider the source')

The best thing to wake up and anger even more Americans than already are is for Mexico to retaliate FOR ANYTHING.

Maybe it is time for this to come to a head. Mexico, in the attitude that THIER citizens portray here, is arrogant enough to retaliate. Let them. Maybe we can then get out of supporting them

Mexico could retaliate if U.S. blocks trucks, Kolbe warns

Please, please retaliate by "taking back the cheap labor that does the jobs no one else wants to do".

Fences make good neighbors.

The nastier they get ....the more Americans will notice......good

I agree..... I am hearing more and more P. O. Americans .... It's about time in my opinion

The Canamex Trade Corridor, defined by Congress as a "High Priority Corridor," runs from Mexico City to Edmonton, Alberta.

How can Mexico retaliate over something we Americans have been trying to stop since we first heard about it? We don't want the Mexican truckers and we don't want the "super highway" from Mexico to Canada. When we tell Congress and Bush we don't want it they say we are foil-hatted kooks. No such plan exists. By all means, retaliate!

For example, Kolbe said, the inland port idea in Tucson must be pushed along.
After a decade in the hands of the city, the inland port project, known as Puerto Nuevo, folded this summer and the concept was moved to the economic development group Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Inc., which said it would take the next year to continue studying the idea.
"It's one thing that we clearly need to do," Kolbe said. "But we haven't gotten our act together

Oh goody, we get to foot the bill for a new port to handle the Chinese ships that want to trade with Mexico! Wow, let's jump right on that! I do think though, since we are footing the bill, we should offer the Chinese the opportunity to name the port instead of letting the Mexicans name it.

Originally Posted by agrneydgrl

Maybe it is time for this to come to a head. Mexico, in the attitude that THIER citizens portray here, is arrogant enough to retaliate. Let them. Maybe we can then get out of supporting them

I agree. What ever economic hardship we must endure, bring it on! It's about time we Americans start standing up for what is right rather than standing up for the love of money. While we're at it, we might as well bar China from importing their crap goods into our country. Duncan Hunter said it best in the last GOP debates--if you want to help America this Christmas, buy American, not Chinese or any other country.

What we can really use as informed consumers is the repeal of the law that states that products do not have to list the origin of manufacturing. This law forces us to buy from outside our own nation in alot of cases. This law needs to be repealed.

Let them retaliate, we can do the same. The only thing is they will be a lot "poorer" when they do. Just barely a year ago they were crying because Oaxaca was under turmoil because of an "Educator Strike" and the U.S. Consulate put out alerts not to travel in to this area which U.S. Citizens like to go to because of it's rich textile and jewelry industry. This hurt almost every state around it, especially Guerrero which is very much into fine jewelry making. The second thing is that Mexico has too much vested in it's legal immigrants here in the U.S. Anyone want to bet on the "dual citizenship status" Mexico offers it's descendants here in the States?