Challenge

OGR was hired by the largest grocery store chain in Texas and Mexico, who owns and operates a large trucking operation in the region. They enlisted our support to help lift the prohibition of Mexican trucks entering the U.S. Under the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a provision was included to allow trucking to cross the U.S.-Mexican border. However, this program was never implemented, as Senator Gordon later introduced legislation within the stimulus package to prevent this trade provision.

Strategy

OGR targeted key House and Senate members, including Republicans and Democrats on the House Transportation Committee to overcome Congressional opposition to the provision. OGR worked closely with Congressmen Ed Pastor, member of the Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, to attach language to the transportation reauthorization act (TEA-21) to reinstate the NAFTA provision. This language still carried considerable Congressional opposition and with a vote was rejected by Congress.

With this Congressional action, OGR established an alternate strategy. We worked closed with the Obama Administration to advocate for an executive order, granting limited access for trucks crossing the U.S. – Mexican border.

Results

The Obama Administration issued an Executive Order granting this access. This action allowed our client to establish distribution across the U.S. – Mexican border to their Texas and Mexico stores.