NASDA URGES SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TO RESOLVE MEXICO TRUCKING ISSUE
News Date September 09, 2009
NASDA sent a letter this week to Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood requesting immediate action on the Mexican trucking dispute. Following Congressional action to suspend funding for the pilot cross-border trucking program in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Mexico retaliated by issuing 10 to 45 percent tariffs on U.S. products.
Mexico is our nation’s second largest agricultural trading partner, with one-seventh of all U.S. agricultural exports destined for that critical market. The retaliatory tariffs cover U.S. exports valued at over $1 billion in 2008, including major products such as fruit juice, grapes, pears, potato products, Christmas trees, almonds, onions, canola, soup and pet foods. When the tariffs were imposed an immediate decline in these exports was noticed.
“The termination of the cross-border trucking pilot program has been extremely harmful to our farmers, who already face tighter lending practices, higher input costs and lower commodity prices during these difficult economic times,” NASDA president, Ron Sparks, stated in the letter. “These farmers can ill-afford the decreased international demand for their products that these tariffs have created.”
Congress is currently considering the 2010 appropriations legislation for the Department of Transportation, with a vote in the Senate expected within the next two weeks. The House passed their bill in July. At this time, the FY10 appropriations bill does not contain the language from the FY09 appropriations bill that terminated funding for the Mexican trucking pilot program.
NASDA supports the implementation of the trucking provisions contained in NAFTA and the elimination of transportation systems barriers. (By: Preston Asay, Policy Contact: Amy Mann)
Letter sent to Secretary LaHood