Essay on NAFTA's Benefits for Mexico

When the Canada/U.S. free trade agreement came into effect, the Mexican's were very impressed by the provision and opportunities that opened for both sides. Mexico then approached the U.S., seeking to form a similar agreement with them. This brought forth a new issue in Canada, should they let Mexico and the U.S. form an agreement without them? Or should they participate, thus transforming their deal with the U.S. into a trilateral agreement including Mexico.

On June 12, 1991, the trade ministers of Canada, the United States and Mexico met in Toronto to open negotiations for a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This was an historic occasion. For the first time ever, a developing country agreed to sit down with two industrial countries to craft an agreement that would open its economy to full competition with the other two countries. If successful, the agreement promised to make the whole North American continent into one economic zone and set an important precedent for trade and economic cooperation between the wealthy countries of the North and less developed countries of the South (O’Day, 1997).

NAFTA promises to have a major impact on the people in all three nations. There will obviously be short-term costs of adjustment, which will certainly hit some industries, regions, and workers harder than others. There will be definite winners in the agreement and definite losers in the agreement. There even might be disputes. Whether as workers, investors, consumers, or ordinary citizens in all three countries they may be affected. The final verdict on the North American Free Trade Agreement may in fact not fully be realized for many weeks, months, or even years. However, in the following essay, the advantages to Mexico will be analyzed (Nadal, 2000).

The movement of companies to Mexico has some positive long term effects on environmental and human rights.................

ESSAY ON THE AMERICAS