The North Americam Free Trade Agreement Essay — страница 3

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will take and exploit a given statistic any way that they can to try and fortify their position. When separating the carefully gathered facts from the fiction, it is hard to see how the NAFTA has had any seriously detrimental effects has on the U.S. This trade agreement is certainly still very young, but apparently is reaching higher and higher levels as it boosts the economies of the member nations. As aforementioned, NAFTA was the focal point of heated debates for nearly 14 months, and during that period, the plights of many people began to surface, environmentalists included. Once again, the target for enraged environmentalists was the less developed Mexico. At present their ecological system is in shambles when compared to that of the other countries participating in NAFTA.

When you look at it from the perspective of the nature buffs, you end up with a worst case scenario of sorts. They feel, if NAFTA remains intact, that a reduction in trade restrictions and the newfound competition will destroy the already damaged environment. Forced to be efficient and throw the occasional barrel of toxic waste into the groundwater supply or face bankruptcy, companies may resort to “environmentally unfriendly” means of dumping wastes. While stingy environmental standards remain in the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, which can escape such restrictions due simply to a lack of enforcement, will push itself up in the market costing American jobs. On the homefront, this also means that vegetables from Mexico may have a tendency to end up on our tables pesticide ridden as

long as the trade laws permit them to be. In response to the pleas from groups such as the Audubon Society and Friends of the Earth, George Bush put environmental concerns front and center. He implemented the “Gephardt-Rostenkowski Resolution” which keyed on the environment and forces the president to report to Congress on progress toward meeting the objectives of an action plan. In essence, there is only so much that the U.S. can do to persuade Mexico to clean up it’s act because provisions in NAFTA pertaining to environmental standards are not feasible at this point. Of late, Mexico has put forth an honest effort, as they enter the third year of a plan utilizing nearly $800 million dollars for projects such as nature preserves, solid waste disposal, and the cleaning up of

the Mexico-U.S. border. Another government agency that has been receiving a significant increase in funds is the Mexican equivalent of the United States’ EPA. Provisions concerning the environment and industry standards may escape NAFTA, but due to mounting pressure, they will not escape serious revamping at the national level. In conclusion, NAFTA, the brainchild of George Bush and Salinas de Gurtari, has many positive aspects that with a little ironing out could prove to be a dynamic economic catalyst for this country. By using this export-led growth strategy centered around a reduction in tariffs over a 15 year period, the member nations can achieve all that they hoped to. After about 2 years of NAFTA, the U.S. has shown formidable gains in it’s economy. To avoid problems

that critics argue such as job loss and depletion of the environment, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico can create policies on the national level to curb such things as these from happening. All in all, granted support from the constituencies of the member nations, NAFTA should be around for a while. The North American Free Trade Agreement Dave Brian Professor Brady 27 Nov. 1995