#TruthInTrade Day 4: NAFTA Opens U.S. Roads to Poorly Regulated Trucks from Mexico

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today continued his #TruthInTrade campaign to highlight the unintended consequences of free trade agreements. Trade deals, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), have allowed poorly regulated trucks and drivers from Mexico on American highways. Today’s trade deals put international corporate interests ahead of domestic public safety policies and give foreign corporations more power than citizens. More information about #TruthinTrade is available here.

“It is important all foreign trucks and drivers on U.S. roads meet U.S. safety standards,” said Representative Pocan. “It’s wrong and inexcusable to let a free trade agreement endanger the American public in this way. NAFTA puts the public at risk by allowing foreign firms to dodge our safety laws.”

NAFTA included a provision that guaranteed access to U.S. roads and highways for Mexico’s truck fleet. The trade agreement did not require Mexican trucking standards be brought up to U.S. standards. In fact, reports by the Department of Transportation Inspector General revealed severe safety and environmental problems with Mexico’s truck fleet and drivers’ licensing.

After a NAFTA “court” imposed sanctions of $2.4 billion on the United States for failing to open access, trucks from Mexico were allowed on U.S. roads starting in 2011. Even so, an association of Mexican trucking firms is demanding $30 billion from U.S. taxpayers to compensate for the years they could not drive on American highways as NAFTA promised.

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