WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and Teamsters want to know whether the U.S. trucking industry is harmed by an increase in cross-border trucking services provided by Mexican suppliers.
They are urging the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to investigate the matter under provisions of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which went into force July 1. The accord is known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in the U.S.
The groups pointed out that CUSMA established a thorough review process to restrict operating authority for Mexican-domiciled carriers.
After decades of opposing the original provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement, OOIDA said, it worked closely with other organizations over the past three years in a renegotiation process that resulted in CUSMA.
“We believe prompt adoption of these interim rules will enhance and expedite the investigation process outlined in USMCA,” said OOIDA president Todd Spencer.
“Because Mexico-based trucking companies and drivers are not held to the same, rigorous U.S. safety and security regulations, they are endangering the American public and taking away jobs and profits from American drivers and carriers.”
OOIDA also reiterated its support for the USITC’s funding request to implement the agreement.
The group said it will continue working with USITC and other federal agencies on behalf of small-business truckers to ensure that cross-border trucking is a fair and mutually beneficial endeavor.
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