San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial

Guadalajara summit

Trucking, drugs, immigration topped agenda

2:00 a.m. August 12, 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderón and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper . - Jewel Samad /GettyAt this week’s summit with North American leaders, President Barack Obama touched on a series of important issues impacting the United States, Mexico and Canada. And, in each case, Obama once again said all the right things but also made more promises that he may have trouble keeping now that he has come home to Washington, D.C.

On the Mexican truck dispute, Obama assured Mexican President Felipe Calderón that he is committed to finally resolving a nearly two-decades-old dispute over granting Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways. In the process, Obama said he would also address safety concerns about the trucks raised by Democratic members of Congress. In March, Congress ended a program that allowed some trucks access as part of a pilot project. Mexico retaliated by imposing $2.4 billion in tariffs on U.S. goods, threatening a trade war. All this because Democrats are carrying water for the Teamsters union, which sees Mexican truckers as competition for their U.S. counterparts.

On immigration reform, Obama said he expected Congress to propose legislation this year but that nothing would happen until 2010. He again pledged to pursue a comprehensive overhaul of the current system by providing “a pathway to citizenshipâ€