WASHINGTON - Mexican truckers will be capable of carrying deep goods to the United States and vice versa, under the terms of an agreement signed Wednesday in Mexico City to end a trade dispute of 17 years.
Under the agreement, Mexico will eliminate tariffs on a wide range of agricultural products and American products as soon as the first Mexican truck is allowed to enter the United States, a process that will require permits and approvals. As a preliminary step, these tariffs will be reduced by 50% this weekend.
The United States had refused since 1994 in honour of the condition of the North American free trade agreement allowing trucks to transport goods across the border to a final destination, rather against the Mexico trucks to travel further than 25 miles in the country. After more than ten years of waiting and negotiation, Mexico retaliated by imposing tariffs in 2009.
In March, President Obama and his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, a preliminary agreement on a compromise. This agreement, signed by the Secretaries of transportation of the two countries, grants truckers free range for a trial period of three years.
Business groups and farmers, who have insisted for the United States the problem, welcomed news of Wednesday as a spur to the economy. But groups representing the truckers to the United States, said that the agreement put their jobs at risk and that security concerns had not been adequately.
Also, they complained that the White House has sought to limit attention to the agreement, no public announcement concerning the signature and agreeing to keep it in a foreign country.
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