Positive Effects of North American Free Trade Agreement on Mexican Economy [2]
The North American Free Trade Agreement [3] (NAFTA) was implemented on January 1, 1994 in hope of removing many barriers of trade and investment between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The NAFTA agreement, in its creation, was expected to create positive trade relationships between the three countries while making sure they adhere to certain economic rules and regulations. The establishment of NAFTA has had many positive effects on the market economy of Mexico, its diplomatic relations with other countries, and the standards of living in Mexico. In addition, millions of jobs have been created in Mexico as a result of the implementation of the NAFTA agreement 18 years ago.
The founder of Soluciones Estratégicas and former Minister of Trade and Industry for Mexico, Dr. Herminio Blanco stated recently in a conference at The University of Texas at El Paso, “Never did we expect during the negotiations the success that NAFTA has had.” He went on to say, “Mexico has been able to attract $160 billion. Never would we have thought that possible.” NAFTA has created the ability to import and export goods between the three countries in a positive and effective way while helping spur jobs through this economic process. The General Manager for the El Paso Saddleblanket Company, Luke Wells explained his company’s relationship with Mexico. He acknowledged, “We’ve been in the import/export business for over 42 years, since 1970 and we’ve always had a wonderful relationship with Mexico.” He went on to claim, “What NAFTA has done is just really to streamline the process and made it a lot more accessible.”