DOT IMPLEMENTS BUSH ORDER ON MEXICAN OWNERSHIP OF U.S. MOTOR CARRIERS

DOT IMPLEMENTS BUSH ORDER ON MEXICAN OWNERSHIP OF U.S. MOTOR CARRIERS    U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said he is implementing a memorandum from President Bush on granting operating authority to Mexican-owned motor carriers, in accordance with the North American Free Trade Agreement.
   The DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will now be able to process applications from Mexican carriers for authority to fully own and operate companies in the United States that transport international cargo between points in the United States.
   While NAFTA had permitted Mexican citizens to establish businesses in the United States to provide point-to-point transportation of international cargo within the nation since December 1995, the U.S. government had delayed implementation. The DOT was barred from issuing grants of operating authority to Mexican carriers under the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995.
   Mexican carriers granted operating authority will be under the same state and federal regulations and procedures that apply to U.S. and Canadian motor carriers operating within the United States, including drug and alcohol testing, insurance requirements, taxes and fees, and applicable laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department of Labor.