L.A. Times weighs in on Mexican trucks

Packer Managing Editor Fred Wilkinson here.

The Los Angeles Times comes down on the side of free and open trade in an editorial on the case of Mexican trucks and tariffs:

"Thanks to the latest protectionist move by Congress to dodge our free-trade obligations with Mexico, in six to eight weeks, more than 20,000 pounds of California strawberries that ordinarily would be headed south of the border will have nowhere to go. The 80,000 people employed by the industry, however, know exactly where their jobs will be headed -- into thin air. At least that's the worst-case scenario if Congress doesn't find a way to honor the North American Free Trade Agreement and give Mexican trucks permission to travel more than a few miles north of the border, as required by the treaty."

The damage to business in the U.S. and Mexico -- not to mention consumers in Mexico -- outweighs the small political gain from barring Mexican trucks.

The U.S. needs to do a quick U-turn on this rash policy decision.