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 News from Around the Americas | February 2007 
Trip Renews Efforts to Ease Trade, Tensions with Mexico
 Matthew Benson & Chris Hawley - Arizona Republic
| | Arizona's Governor Janet Napolitano (L) and Mexican Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo of Sonora listen to a question during a news conference in Mexico City February 9, 2007. Arizona governor Napolitano on Friday said last week's murder of three migrants just north of the U.S. border underscores the need for immigration reform. (Reuters/Henry Romero) |
Gov. Janet Napolitano's trip to Mexico City last week to meet with new President Felipe Calderón and his Cabinet brought a lot of talk - talk of increased trade, border security, improved relations.
The trick now is to translate that talk into something more.
"They just need to get it done," Napolitano said Thursday, referring to governments on both sides of the border. "You've got to keep pushing on these things. It requires constant, consistent follow-up."
Key proposals from the governor's two-day visit, a delegation of state leaders of government and industry in tow, include:
• An effort to ease border passage into the U.S. for Mexican products, especially fruits and vegetables that can spoil if held up in long inspection lines.
• Revised U.S. import rules so that Mexican cattle can be checked for ticks and allowed entrance at Arizona border ports.
• A change in Mexican policy to allow local and state law enforcement to question individuals about their legal status, helping in the identification of migrants from Guatemala and other South and Central American countries heading north to the United States.
What will come of the discussions? That remains to be seen.
Take shipping reform. Cross-border shipping has long been problematic and has become more so in recent years as border security and traffic have increased. Trucks traveling north to the United States often face military checkpoints. Container seals are broken, goods and boxes trampled. Delays are the norm.
On days like Wednesday, more problems are created as transportation companies strike in protest of the long border waits.
It costs time and money. Delays add 12 to 14 hours to the average trip from Sinaloa, Mexico, to Phoenix, said Alicia Martin, chairwoman of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. Over $200 million in produce en route to Arizona is lost to spoilage each year.
With an eye to easing those delays is a proposal to allow U.S. inspectors to check shipments within Mexico near where the product is grown and packed. Goods would then be sealed and shipped by trucks tracked via GPS and allowed to cross into the U.S. uninterrupted, in most cases.
"I think everybody's understanding the concept," Martin said. "It's just a matter of, like, how do we get it done?"
"We needed this five years ago. It's red tape. There's just so much red tape."
Napolitano's visit to Mexico City came with Arizona the focus of a string of negative news items in the Mexican capital.
Three migrants were shot to death in an attack near Tucson on the eve of Napolitano's trip. The deaths followed a mass robbery of migrants a day earlier near Sasabe and a Jan. 12 shooting of a migrant by a Border Patrol agent.
"Sometimes we just have bad timing," said Jeffrey Patterson, founder of the Latino Web site Quepasa.com and a member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission's executive committee.
While the incidents captured media attention and led to stern pronouncements from Calderón's office and Mexican lawmakers, Napolitano said they were "barely mentioned" in face-to-face meetings.
"It didn't dominate" she said, "and it didn't take away from our ability to raise the agricultural issues, the free-trade issues, the immigration and border-security issues."
Economic issues loomed large during the meetings. Calderón is being heavily courted by state and national leaders eager for a piece of Mexico's growing economy.
Napolitano met with the head of Aeromexico, the Mexican airline that recently began offering non-stop flights between Mexico City and Phoenix.
The carrier would like to increase its Mexico-bound offerings, and officials from both countries are eager to boost their tourist trade.
A second Mexican airline, Mexicana, plans to begin Mexico City/Phoenix flights by summer, said Margie Emmermann, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism.
What's next?
Numerous proposals were discussed during Gov. Janet Napolitano's meetings with Mexican officials. Much work remains to make them reality, but the following are some of the possibilities:
Border security
Mexico plans to coordinate local, state and federal authorities as part of its effort against illegal immigration. Under an additional proposal, local and state law enforcement agencies could be given the ability to question individuals about their legal status.
Impact: Signals a ramp-up of Mexico's efforts to secure the border. Would help identify drug-runners, human-smugglers and migrants from other countries in Mexico illegally and likely traveling to the United States.
Shipping rules
U.S. inspectors may be sent into Mexico to check shipments closer to where produce is grown and packed. Trucks would then be sealed and tracked via GPS, allowing them to pass into the U.S. without delays at the border.
Impact: Would save time at border crossings. Currently, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of produce headed for Arizona is spoiled every year due to haphazard border inspections and ensuing backups and delays.
Cattle importation, breeding
A change in U.S. rules would allow Mexican cattle to be checked for ticks at Arizona ports of entry. A change in Mexican policy is sought to allow Arizona cattle to breed in Mexico.
Impact: Cattle must be shipped to Texas for tick inspection, which increases food costs in Arizona. Changing U.S. and Mexican policies would be beneficial to ranchers in both countries. |
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