U.S. Honors Key NAFTA Provision -- FinallyEighteen years after signing the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States is finally moving to live up to one of its key provisions. On March 3, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon agreed to a deal that would end most of the restrictions on trucking across the U.S.-Mexico border after congressional approval. Under NAFTA, trucking of commercial goods among the U.S., Mexico and Canada was supposed to be unimpeded by borders. To its discredit, the Clinton administration went along with Teamsters' demands that Mexican trucks be kept out, allegedly for safety reasons but really for competitive reasons. More unionized Canadian truck fleets faced no such spurious objections. In 2007, the Bush administration and Mexico launched a pilot program that was scrapped after Barack Obama took over the White House in 2009.
Thankfully, Obama has now decided that the U.S. should honor its international obligations, not give in to protectionist impulses. We hope he is similarly strong in support of free trade on other fronts as well. We acknowledge that there are real issues involved in international trade that complicate policy debates. Some U.S. truckers wonder whether they will be targeted by thieves or kidnappers in areas of Mexico where law enforcement has been overwhelmed by drug violence. Some economists believe China manipulates the value of its currency to maximize exports. But in general, history supports the belief that free trade creates greater prosperity and that protectionism stifles growth. We are pleased to see the Obama White House act in ways that reflect this belief. REPRINTED FROM THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
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