Trucks and stuff

[MDOLAN <mdolan@citizen.org>]

  [Corey Dennenberg, the author of the following short analysis, is an intern 
  here at Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch -- ed.]
  
  Here is some basic information and safety violation rates, from the General 
  Accounting Office, of trucks crossing the Southwestern Border from Mexico 
  into the U.S.
  
   	There are 24 ports used to cross the border in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona 
  and California.
  
   	Texas has the most highly trafficked ports with 29% of the total truck
  traffic crossing through Laredo and 19% of the traffic crossing through El 
  Paso.  California has the next most highly trafficked border 
  crossing--17%-- at Otay Mesa.  
  
   	According to a 1996 study, approximately 12,000 trucks cross into America 
  daily; this is a 27% increase in traffic since 1992.  Sixty-six percent of 
  this traffic crosses through Texas, 24% through California and 10% through 
  Arizona--New Mexico is left out of most statistics because it receives less 
  than 1% of the northbound truck traffic. 
  
   	From January-December of 1996 45% of all inspected vehicles were put out 
  of service for safety reasons..i.e. brakes, tires, weight.. Compared to the 
  U.S. where 28% of all inspected traffic is put out of service for safety 
  reasons.  About 1% of all vehicles crossing the border go through safety 
  checks.
  
  Here is information on inspection and violation rates regarding drug 
  smuggling, via the United States Customs Service.  
  
   	For FY 1994 25% of all containers--full and empty--were inspected and 11% 
  of all full containers were inspected.  For FY 1995 23% of all 
  containers--full and empty--were inspected and 10 % of all full containers 
  were inspected.  For FY 1996 25% of all containers--full and empty--were 
  inspected and 10.5% of all full containers were inspected. 
  
   	The number of seizures  for FY 1996 and 1997 are as follows (1994 and
  1995 were unavailable, as were inspection rates for 1997):
  			
  			Marijuana	Heroin	    Cocaine
  	FY 1996	        4,394		112		255
  
  	FY 1997	        4,506		68 		283
  
  
  The Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection and Quarantine is 
  responsible for food inspections, I am still waiting on them for 
  information.
  
  Additions to memo..
   	*keep in mind when referring to the inspection ports, that New Mexico
  should probably not be included, and may not be acknowledged in statistics 
  because it receives so little of the traffic.
   	*The statistic-- 75% of all traffic enters through Arizona and Texas-- is 
  true but misleading because, 66% of that 75% goes through Texas.
   	*The 1% of 3.3 million comes from the April, 1997 GAO report and refers 
  to truck safety inspections, although its actually 0.75%.  I couldn't find 
  that statistic in the GAO report for food inspection rates, but Jim Smith 
  an operations officer with the USDA Plant, Protection and Quarantine 
  division confirmed it..he also said that about 10% of the 3.3 million 
  trucks crossing the border contain agriculture products, though this is 
  just an approximation and he couldn't quote anty studies on this.
   	*I haven't seen that 1/200 statistic anywhere, and noone from the DOT
  seems to know about it. Tom Koslowsky the NAFTA coordinator for the DOT, 
  made an interesting point--that though there may be a statistic for the 
  number of trucks crossing the border, that number does not account for the 
  trucks that travel back and forth over the border, so though we may be 
  given the number 3.3 million, 1/4 of those may be "repeat crossers," on the 
  same token, the DOT does not account for this fact when doing their 
  inspections--i.e. they don't mark or I.D. trucks inspected that day, so 
  they may inspect the same truck twice and count it in their inspection 
  rates.
   	*Random note, neither Arizona nor Texas have permanent inspection
  facilities, the inspectors work out of uncovered parking lots
   	*Updated drug info..According to the U.S. Customs Service..16% of all
  Heroin seized by  Customs in FY1996 and 9% of all the Heroin seized by 
  Customs in FY1997,  came from Mexico.  For FY 1996  16% and for FY 1997 18% 
  of all the cocaine seized by Customs came from Mexico.
  
  I hope this information is useful, please let me know if I can be of any 
  more assistance.
  
  Corey Denenberg
  ***** NOTES from MDOLAN (MDOLAN @ CITIZEN) at 7/15/97 6:02 PM
  
  
  ****************************************************************************
   /s/ Mike Dolan, Field Director, Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen
  
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