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'''NAFTA''', or the '''N'''orth '''A'''merican '''F'''ree '''T'''rade '''A'''greement is a free trade pact among the [[United States]], [[Mexico]] and [[Canada]]; it began in 1994 and continues to the present. It created the world's biggest free-trade area and required the elimination of every trade barrier between the signers for fifteen years. It also included agreements on the environment and labor. This gave Canadian and U.S. companies access to [[Mexican]] markets.

'''NAFTA''', or the '''N'''orth '''A'''merican '''F'''ree '''T'''rade '''A'''greement is a free trade pact among the [[United States]], [[Mexico]] and [[Canada]]; it began in 1994 and continues to the present. It created the world's biggest free-trade area and required the elimination of every trade barrier between the signers for fifteen years. It also included agreements on the environment and labor. This gave Canadian and U.S. companies access to Mexican markets.

==Passage==

==Passage==

The pact was originally negotiated by President [[George H. W. Bush]] but was made into law by President [[Bill Clinton]], who overcame strong opposition from liberals, environmentalists and labor unions and worked with Republicans to pass the legislation. <ref>See [http://www.vancol.com/history-of-nafta.cfm History of NAFTA]</ref>  NAFTA followed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) of 1989 between the U.S. and Canada.

NAFTA followed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) of 1989 between the U.S. and Canada.  NAFTA was originally negotiated by President [[George H. W. Bush]] and was an issue in the 1992 presidential election. Bush and [[Bill Clinton]] supported NAFTA but independent [[Ross Perot]] led the opposition. Once elected Clinton worked with Republicans and business to overcome strong opposition from liberals, environmentalists and labor unions. The dire predictions of the opposition never came to pass.  

 

==Impact==

==Impact==

NAFTA) marked a major change in US-Mexico relations in the post-Cold War era and showed an important tendency in economic globalization. By establishing a relationship of economic cooperation and collaboration and practicing economic liberalization and integration, the United States, Canada, and Mexico all benefited. Furthermore, NAFTA propelled reform of the political system in Mexico and created a chance for Mexico to open up to the world and establish a foreign-oriented economy.  

NAFTA) marked a major change in US-Mexican relations in the post-Cold War era and showed an important tendency in economic globalization. By establishing a relationship of economic cooperation and collaboration and practicing economic liberalization and integration, the United States, Canada, and Mexico all benefited. Furthermore, NAFTA propelled reform of the political system in Mexico and created a chance for Mexico to open up to the world and establish a foreign-oriented economy.  

===Mexico===

===Mexico===

NAFTA greatly boosted Mexico's exports to the U.S. and made the country more attractive for foreign investment. It also helped it to weather the 1994-1995 peso crisis by ensuring access to U.S. and Canadian markets.  There has been a growth in the other states of Mexico of large multinational companies whose maquiladora assembly operations have gained an increasingly larger proportion of Mexico's export production. Meanwhile the proportion of production by smaller manufacturing firms and other producers has steadily shrunk. Mexico continues to be an importer of technology and innovative processes, and likewise remains heavily dependent on the performance of the U.S. economy.  Manufacturing remains concentrated in the Federal District, Jalisco and Nuevo Leon. Mexico's inadequate road system, particularly in the central and southern states, is a serious impediment to attracting foreign investment in those regions, as well for exploiting the full potential of NAFTA.

NAFTA greatly boosted Mexico's exports to the U.S. and made the country more attractive for foreign investment. It also helped it to weather the 1994-1995 peso crisis by ensuring access to U.S. and Canadian markets.  There has been a growth in the other states of Mexico of large multinational companies whose maquiladora assembly operations have gained an increasingly larger proportion of Mexico's export production. Meanwhile the proportion of production by smaller manufacturing firms and other producers has steadily shrunk. Mexico continues to be an importer of technology and innovative processes, and likewise remains heavily dependent on the performance of the U.S. economy.  Manufacturing remains concentrated in the Federal District, Jalisco and Nuevo Leon. Mexico's inadequate road system, particularly in the central and southern states, is a serious impediment to attracting foreign investment in those regions, as well for exploiting the full potential of NAFTA.