Determination Under the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995

President Bush modified a moratorium on motor carrier operating authority to allow U.S.-domiciled enterprises owned or controlled by Mexican persons to obtain permits for truck and bus services between U.S. points, implementing NAFTA obligations. The Department of Transportation was directed to immediately accept and expedite applications for such authority.

Federal Register Open PDF 66 FR 30799

Impact dates

Jun 5, 2001
Moratorium modifications effective; DOT begins accepting applications

Key directives

Modify moratorium to allow Mexican-owned U.S. enterprises to obtain truck operating authority for international cargo between U.S. points
Modify moratorium to allow Mexican-owned U.S. enterprises to obtain bus operating authority between U.S. points
Direct DOT to accept and expeditiously process applications effective immediately
Apply same federal and state regulations to Mexican-owned carriers as all other U.S. carriers

Who is ordered

Secretary of Transportation · Department of Transportation

Timeline

Immediate

Moratorium modification effective June 5, 2001
DOT begins accepting applications immediately
Expedited processing directive takes effect

Near term (90d)

Applications processed expeditiously
Implementation of safety and regulatory compliance for new entrants

Long term

NAFTA trade liberalization in transportation services
Potential market expansion for Mexican-invested U.S. carriers

Risks & tensions

Safety enforcement concerns for cross-border trucking (noted in text via drug/alcohol testing emphasis)
Labor opposition from U.S. trucking unions (implied by regulatory context, not explicit in text)
Coordination required across multiple agencies (DOT, Customs, INS, Labor)