The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has become a pillar of the Canadian, American and Mexican economies and stands as one of the broadest, deepest free-trade agreements in human history. As the three countries enter a renegotiation of NAFTA, join dual Canadian-American citizen Raj Bhala for the historical context, current realities, and future possibilities for this crucial continent-wide agreement. Raj will describe the origins of NAFTA and its effects on all three countries, including concerns about "overselling" its benefits. He will cover sensitive sectors in agriculture (including wheat, wine, sugar, dairy and poultry) and industry (such as aircraft, steel, and automobiles). Raj will also discuss the eight-year NAFTA renegotiation that already took place—the Trans Pacific Partnership—and the potential starting points it offers for the issues of intellectual property, e-commerce, state-owned enterprises, labour rights, women's rights, and environment and climate change. Raj will even address strategic questions that could be considered heretical to ask. Don't miss this opportunity to get an American perspective on NAFTA from a Canadian-born expert.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - an extension of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Canada and USA to include Mexico - went into effect on January 1, 1994, primarily as an agreement to eliminate restrictions on trade and investment over the course of twelve years. NAFTA is a trade agreement and after twelve years remains as such with limited prospects, if any, of widening or deepening the integration process. Despite its narrow scope, the agreement became, from the start, controversial - and continues to be so - not only for trade and investment matters but for a whole host of other related issues. The other related issues include: the dispute settlement mechanism and side agreements on labor and environmental issues.

NAFTA has been described by one expert as being a partial customs union. It is, in any case, a special kind of free trade area because it consists of two highly developed economies and one large third world economy. In this book, the contributors examine the specific interests of the three member countries, Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the creation of NAFTA. They also assess the influence of this trade area on their economics. Looking to the future, doubts are expressed about the feasibility of using NAFTA (a hope expressed by the USA) as a stepping stone in the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas. Instead, the contributors see the consolidation of MERCOSUR in Latin America and the creation of a new Trans-Atlantic Market - as proposed by Sir Leon Brittan - as more likely developments.

"Many of the papers included in this volume were first presented and discussed in the Spring of 2000 at a conference on lessons from the NAFTA for the FTAA"--Pref.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, has been one of the most hotly contested political and economic issues of the past 20 years. Contrary to much of the discussion in the U. S. media, this volume examines small family farms in Mexico which have fared worse economically since NAFTA s passage. A distinguished group of contributors provide historical background, policy analysis, case studies, comparisons with large agribusiness corporations, and recommendations for ways to improve the situation of small farms in the future. This volume will be essential to the understanding of multinational trade issues and agriculture in the twenty-first century."

"Very readable book written during height of NAFTA debate. Remains a valuable resource for discussing impact of the trade agreement in Mexico and US"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.