    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [October 6, 1994]
    [Pages 1712-1713]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on North American Free Trade Agreement
    Transportation Provisions Concerning Mexican Motor Carriers
    October 6, 1994

    To the Congress of the United States:
        In November 1993, in preparation for the implementation of the North
    American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on January 1, 1994, I informed the
    Congress of my intent to modify the moratorium on the issuance of
    certificates of operating authority to Mexican-owned or -controlled
    motor carriers that was imposed by the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982
    (49 U.S.C. 10922(l)(2)(A)). The modification applied to Mexican charter
    and tour bus operations. At that time, I also informed the Congress that
    I would be notifying it of additional modifications to the moratorium
    with respect to Mexican operations as we continued to implement NAFTA's
    transportation provisions. In this regard, it is now my intention to
    further modify the moratorium to allow Mexican small package delivery
    services to operate in the United States provided that Mexico implements
    its NAFTA obligation to provide national treatment to U.S. small package
    delivery companies.
        Prior to its implementation of the NAFTA, Mexico limited foreign-
    owned small package delivery services, such as that offered by United
    Parcel Service and Federal Express, to trucks approximately the size of
    a minivan. This made intercity service impractical and effectively
    limited small-package delivery companies to intracity service only.
    Mexico has no similar restriction on the size of trucks used by Mexican
    small package delivery services. Because Mexico did not take a
    reservation in this area, the NAFTA obligates Mexico to extend national
    treatment to U.S. small package and messenger service companies. Mexico
    must allow U.S. small package delivery services to use the same size
    trucks

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    that Mexican small package delivery companies are permitted to use.
        Mexico, earlier this year, enacted legislation that addresses the
    small package delivery issue. Amendments to the Law on Roads, Bridges,
    and Federal Motor Carriers authorize parcel delivery and messenger
    services to operate without restriction so long as they obtain a permit
    from the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation and direct
    that such permits be granted in a timely fashion. The law includes no
    restrictions on the size and weight of parcels nor on the dimensions of
    the vehicles that small package delivery services will be permitted to
    use.
        At the North American Transportation Summit hosted by the United
    States on April 29, 1994, Mexico's Secretary of Communications and
    Transportation Emilio Gamboa reaffirmed his government's commitment to
    permit unrestricted operations by foreign-owned providers of small
    package delivery services in Mexico. In return, even though the United
    States does not have a similar obligation under the NAFTA, Secretary of
    Transportation Federico Pena stated the United States Government's
    intention to grant Mexican small package delivery service companies
    reciprocal operating rights in the United States by modifying the
    moratorium imposed by the Bus Regulatory Reform Act. Mexico and the
    United States agreed to establish a joint working group to specify the
    details of this arrangement by September 1, 1994.
        The U.S. small package delivery service industry is supportive of
    United States Government efforts to eliminate Mexico's restrictions on
    small package delivery operations. Provided Mexico implements its NAFTA
    obligation to extend national treatment to U.S. small package delivery
    companies, the U.S. industry would not object to a modification of the
    moratorium that would provide Mexican small package delivery companies
    reciprocal treatment in the United States.
        Provided that Mexico meets its NAFTA-imposed national treatment
    obligation to allow U.S.-owned small package delivery services
    unrestricted operations, I intend, pursuant to section 6 of the Bus
    Regulatory Reform Act, to modify the moratorium imposed by that section
    to permit Mexican small package delivery services to operate in the
    United States in exactly the same manner and to exactly the same extent
    that U.S. small package delivery services will be permitted to operate
    in Mexico. The Bus Regulatory Reform Act requires 60 days' advance
    notice to the Congress of my intention to modify or remove the
    moratorium. With this message, I am providing the advance notice so
    required.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,
    October 6, 1994.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    October 7.