April 3, 2008

US congress urged not to cancel Mexican trucking program to maintain healthy export

The US Congress has been urged not to shut down the Cross Border Trucking Pilot Program with Mexico as it could result in an economic backlash in which meat exports to Mexico could be affected.

Major meat processing companies have joined forces to urge the Congress not to cancel the program that started last year, allowing Mexican trucks to enter the US.

The Congress had intended to pull the financial plug on the program, with Senator Byron Dorgan calling for an investigation into why the program was still running. Highway safety is the main argument against cross border trucking with Mexico.

Agricultural interests have sent a letter to the Congress, expressing their concern that the cancellation of the pilot program could lead to Mexico retaliating to the tune of US$2 billion in lost trade annually, which include US agricultural exports such as beef, pork and poultry.

The letter was signed by dozens of major companies and associations, including Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, Cargill Inc., Hormel Foods, American Meat Institute, National Pork Producers Council and the US Meat Export Federation.