House Amendment Would Force Mexican Carriers to Meet U.S. Safety Standards

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he House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure on Wednesday that would require foreign truckers operating in the United States to meet the same safety, certification and labeling standards as domestic carriers, news services reported.

The measure was offered as an amendment to a fiscal year 2005 funding bill for Treasury and Transportation department programs that also passed the House, Reuters reported. The Senate has not yet considered its version of the bill.

The Transportation Department previously proposed a two-year waiver for Mexican and Canadian trucks and buses to meet all U.S. safety standards.

Currently, most trucks bringing freight to the United States from Mexico are allowed no farther than commercial zones along the border, where they transfer freight to U.S. trucks and return. Mexican trucks have been banned from operating on other U.S. highways for more than 20 years.

The Bush administration is opposed to the amendment on the grounds it would slow delayed efforts to open U.S. roads to Mexican trucks as required by North American Free Trade Agreement, Reuters said. However, supporters said it would make Mexican trucks operating on U.S. roads safer.

The Transportation Department had proposed a two-year waiver for Mexican and Canadian trucks and buses to meet all U.S. safety standards, Reuters reported.

The Teamsters union said in a statement it was pleased the House took a stand for "highway safety and common sense."