Results:
1. What are the potential economic benefits of the trucking provisions in the NAFTA treaty?
• Substantially decrease transportation costs between NAFTA countries.
• The need for storage and warehousing was to decline.
• The reduction in short-haul truckers would cut costs to shippers.
• Economic efficiencies created by free trade in goods and services were meant to yield efficiencies in cross-border transportation of these products.
Who benefits?
• American companies
• American and Mexican trucking industries
• Consumers
Who might lose?
• Once implemented, these provisions help everyone involved on the American side.
• Mexico’s economy has suffered and they have endured high level of pollution.

2. What do you think motivated the American Teamsters to object the trucking provisions of NAFTA? Are these objections fair?

“Mexican trucks are older, dirtier and more dangerous than American trucks. American truck drivers are taken of the road it they commit a serious traffic violation in their truck. That’s not so in Mexico limits on the hours a driver can spend behind the wheel are ignored in Mexico”. – James Hoffa, the president of Teamsters.

The Teamsters and other unions have officially opposed an open transportation policy on the grounds of trucks safety, although job preservation for their members appears to be an important part of their motivation.

Why did the US Congress initially align itself with the Teamsters?
• Pressure from America’s largest, most powerful and wealthiest union.
• Did not want to upset 1.3 million of their constituents.

Do you think this was a diplomatic failure for Mexico?
Yes, because the American companies was taking all the benefits.
3. Did it make sense for the United States to bear the costs of punitive tariffs as allowed for under NAFTA, as opposed to letting Mexican trucks enter the