The leaders of nine state departments of agriculture in the western U.S. sent a letter to President Obama last week urging him to address the Mexican trucking crisis immediately.  "It is vital," read the letter, "that your Administration quickly addresses any outstanding issues related to the trucking pilot program so that our producers can regain unfettered access to the Mexican market."

Earlier this year, the U.S. eliminated a safety program for Mexican trucks entering the country.  This action caused the Mexicans to retaliate with over $2 billion in tariffs against a host of American products including many in the fresh produce sector.

United Fresh is strongly urging the U.S. to adhere to its commitments under North American Free Trade Agreement and re-implement an acceptable program to allow Mexican trucks to enter the U.S.  This would allow for a concurrent elimination of the retaliatory tariffs that are causing significant harm to U.S. fresh produce exports.

For more on United's efforts in the areas of domestic and international trade, log on to www.unitedfresh.org.