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Calderon: will work with Obama on creative NAFTA solution

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon both referred indirectly to the cross border trucking issue during a joint news conference following a meeting between the two leaders.

“Together, we should increase our exporting capacity in a contest of growing competitiveness among different regions of the world,” Calderon told reporters. “We talked about the different obstacles that are there for complying with transportation obligations that have been established at NAFTA, a situation that impacts jobs, companies and consumers in Mexico and in the United States.  And we shall work in order to achieve a quick solution with a constructive, creative solution in the long term in this and many other areas.”

Obama said the two men agreed to continue working aggressively on the countries’ highest economic priorities — creating jobs.

“Mexico is one of our largest trading partners, with trade that supports countless jobs here in America and in Mexico,” Obama said. “And because 80 percent of the trade passes over our land border, we reaffirmed our commitment to a 21st century border that is modern, secure and efficient.  And we’re directing our governments to develop an action plan to move in this direction, because our shared border must be an engine, and not a brake, on our economic growth.”

It had been expected Calderon was likely to raise the issue of Mexican trucks being denied access to the United States as a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. An administration official said Obama would reaffirm his commitment to working with Calderon and Congress to address the issue.

Congress killed the cross border demonstration project in March 2009 and Mexico imposed $2.4 billion in tariffs of U.S. goods exported to Mexico.

Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., whose state has been hard hit by the tariffs, sent a letter to Obama urging him to use his meeting Calderon as an opportunity to work to end the tariffs.

Calderon is scheduled to address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this afternoon at which time he is expected to address the cross border issue.

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