US borders open to Mexican trucks starting January

Mexican trucks can begin making deliveries throughout the United States, but with tougher safety inspection requirements than US President George W. Bush initially sought, Associated Press reports.

The deal between Bush and the US House of Representative, reached Friday, defused a political confrontation in which Bush threatened to veto restrictions lawmakers wanted to clamp on his plan to let Mexican trucks drive anywhere in the United States beginning in January. Unions and safety groups were lobbying for blocking the trucks, while business groups wanted to allow their entry.

The House voted in June to prevent the trucks from driving across this country. In August, the Senate voted to let them in only after Mexican trucking companies and truck drivers could satisfy an array of inspection, insurance and other standards.

Under the agreement, US safety officials would inspect the sites of half of all Mexican motor carriers seeking to enter the United States that have four or more trucks.

US border agents would have to electronically verify the licenses of drivers of all Mexican trucks carrying hazardous materials, and half of all other Mexican truck drivers. And within a year, truck scales would have to be installed at the 10 busiest border crossings.