BUS3103: Case assignment

NAFTA and Mexican Trucking

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect in 1994, the treaty specified that by 2000, trucks from each nation would be allowed to cross each other's borders and deliver goods to their ultimate destination. The argument was that such a policy would lead to great efficiencies. Before NAFTA, Mexican trucks stopped at the border, and goods had to be unloaded and reloaded onto American trucks, a process that took time and cost money. It was also argued that greater competition from Mexican trucking firms would lower the price of road transportation within NAFTA. Given that two-­‐thirds of cross-­‐border trade within NAFTA goes by road, supporters argued that the savings could be significant. This provision was vigorously opposed by the Teamsters union in the United States, which represents truck drivers. The union argued that Mexican truck drivers had poor safety records, and that Mexican trucks did not adhere to the strict safety and environmental standards of the United States. To quote James Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters: Mexican trucks are