On July 1, 2020, after much expectation and delay, the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—a greatly revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994—came into effect. This timely book by the author of the preeminent guide to NAFTA and an active participant and private sector advocate in the USMCA negotiation and legislative process provides a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the new agreement, clearly describing what has changed from the earlier agreement and what is new. After a concise but expertly calibrated summary of NAFTA, the author proceeds systematically through a practical analysis of each USMCA provision, emphasizing such crucial new elements as the following: new rules on intellectual property rights; stricter rules of origin within the automotive industry; major reforms in Mexican labor laws and their enforceability; opening of Canada’s agricultural and dairy sector to more U.S. competition; entirely new chapter on digital trade; new dispute mechanisms; requirement of an increased minimum wage in auto plants; and a new chapter on environmental standards. Changes in such important aspects of trade as textiles and apparel, ownership of hydrocarbons, cross-border trade in services, and anticorruption measures are also fully described. The USMCA is a response to a United States initiative to renegotiate NAFTA. As a key regional trade agreement with vast global ramifications, familiarity with its content and rules is essential for all business, legal, policymaking, and academic parties concerned with international trade. This useful practical guide will be a welcome addition to private and corporate libraries, including corporate counsel, customs brokers, freight forwarders, logistics and import-export managers, government officials, and academics who need a thorough understanding of the new agreement.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Mexico has a population of about 110 million people making it the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world and the third most populous country in the Western Hemisphere. Based on a GDP of $1.0 trillion in 2008, Mexico has a free market economy with a strong export sector. The U.S. and Mexico have strong economic ties. An important feature of the relationship is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mexico is the U.S.¿ third largest trading partner, while the U.S. ranks first among Mexico¿s trading partners. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) U.S.-Mexico Economic Trends; (3) Mexican Economy; (4) NAFTA and the U.S.-Mexico Econ. Relationship; (5) Major Issues in U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations; (6) Policy Issues. Illus.

In this report, the Economic Strategy Institute explains how to structure a North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen the U.S. economy and bolster the competitiveness of an increasingly integrated North American economy. The report begins with a description of U.S. and Mexican interests in the FTA, and an analysis of how they converge and diverge. It then details the assumptions about the Mexican economy and about the economic future of North America that have been driving U.S. policy. Following a critique of these assumptions, the study paints a detailed portrait of the Mexican economy as it is, not as many Americans wish it to be. The economic impact of the FTA being sought by the administration is gauged by describing recent quantitative and qualitative trends in U.S.-Mexico trade, discussing the body of econometric studies published to date on the FTA, and presenting the Institute's own projections, which are based on analyses not only of trade flows, but of investment flows and Mexican industrial policies. Finally, the report identifies a framework for U.S.-Mexico relations likely to strengthen the U.S. economy. It outlines the criteria that a successful agreement has to meet, and presents detailed recommendations on how to achieve these goals in areas ranging from trade and investment to energy and the environment.