Posted on 10/20/2009 4:40:28 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
DALLAS — Canada’s trade minister said Monday that some progress is being made on a nagging trade issue with the United States, while U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said a tangled dispute with Mexico over cross-border trucking and California Christmas trees might resolve itself next year.
Welcoming Cabinet-level Mexican and Canadian trade officials to the city where he served as mayor, Kirk said language that removed funding for the Mexican truck program has been restored in next year’s budget bill.
"We won’t be handcuffed by prohibitory language," he said.
When the border was closed to 500 U.S.-certified trucks in a pilot program, Mexico imposed retaliatory tariffs on 89 U.S. exports ranging from cosmetics and toilet paper to Christmas trees. The truck-and-trade issue put the Obama administration in a political fix because organized labor opposed allowing Mexican trucks an open road north of the border.
Kirk declined to say who is complaining the loudest about the Mexican tariffs. He did say California agriculture groups have made clear to their representatives in Congress just how complicated bilateral issues can get.
Overall U.S. exports to Mexico from March, when the tariffs were imposed, through July were down 28 percent. California table grapes were hit with a 45 percent duty, while wine shippers must now pay a 20 percent tariff.
Meanwhile, Canadian provinces and cities have refused to take bids from U.S. companies until Washington scraps the "Buy America" provision in the stimulus spending package. Under that legislation, cities and states could avail themselves of a share of $260 billion in federal spending only if they bought U.S.-made steel and equipment.
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
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Saw it on the local tee-vee news, there were about 3-4 people attending.
Little ron musta looked pretty stupid... I bet he is pizzed.
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