Mexican Trucker Lawsuit

MEXICO CITY (AP) - An attorney today says Mexican truckers have
filed a lawsuit against the United States.

The lawsuit seeks $6 billion in compensation for losses they
claim to have suffered since Washington banned them from crossing
the border in violation of a trade pact.

Mexico's National Cargo Transportation Association, or Canacar,
filed the lawsuit representing 4,500 trucking companies.

The group's lawyer, Pedro Ojeda, said Canacar
filed an arbitration notice with the U.S. State Department under
the North American Free Trade Agreement in April.

The U.S. was required under NAFTA to grant Mexican trucks full
access to its highways by January 2000.

But opposition from U.S. labor unions and consumer groups led
U.S. legislators to delay the opening until a pilot program
allowing some trucks across was instituted in 2007.