What is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? What global and regional factors promoted creation of this agreement? Why do so many American and Mexican citizens believe that NAFTA is more harmful than beneficial? What have been the long-term effects of this agreement on Mexico, the United States, and Texas?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1. Explain that NAFTA is an agreement among the United States, Canada, and Mexico to reduce or eliminate tariffs in order to increase trade.
2. Explain that global economics and the emergence of regional trading zones precipitated this agreement and that the failure of Mexican economic policies in the 1980s and fear of economic isolation in addition to the end of the Cold War, a reduction of Central American conflicts, and internal population pressures were additional factors that resulted in this agreement.
3. Address concerns that include the negative impact on American labor unions because of low labor costs in Mexico, the loss of jobs in the United States to Mexico, Mexican fear of American domination of is economy, human rights violations with regard to Mexican workers' conditions and benefits, increased threats to air, water, and waste pollution, and the controversy over the provision for Mexican trucks to use American highways.
4. Explain that exports from Texas and the United States to Mexico have increase dramatically since the passage of NAFTA, while Mexico is now the United States' third-largest trading partner as imports to the United States have increased over 600 percent since 1993.