@Risk

The US and Mexico are moving towards a new deal designed to resolve a longstanding dispute over cross-border trucking.

The proposed agreement, unveiled last Thursday by President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón, would effectively end a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the US border. The ban was established nearly 20 years ago as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The deal upholds previous requirements for Mexican trucks operating on US highways, notably that Mexican fleets

• apply for and receive authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,

• demonstrate they meet the same safety standards as US fleets and

• are prohibited from hauling freight between destinations within the United States.

In a statement, the American Trucking Associations said it supports the agreement in principle. (more…)

Mexico continues to be a positive business proposition for many companies. However there’s no doubt that it is becoming increasingly more challenging –and more costly –to mitigate risks to operations, supply chains and personnel there.

Consider this: Since 2006, more than 24,000 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico, and as an article in The Dallas Morning News puts it: (more…)