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How NAFTA has affected the financial service industries in the United States, Canada, and Mexico

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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted in November of 1993 with aims to facilitate the free flow of goods, services and labor between the United States, Canada and Mexico. The ratification of NAFTA created the world’s largest free market with roughly 390 million consumers and an estimated total output of $8.6 trillion. Clearly, this trade alliance has had a major influence on the financial service industries of the participating nations and will continue to do so in the future. However, the financial service provisions of NAFTA will have sufficiently greater implications for Mexico than either the United States or Canada. This is in part because Mexico is embarking upon a greater shift towards openness in its …show more content…

These had left U.S. banks relatively less competitive in the world market. Since the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999) amended the Glass-Steagall Act, many financial institutions have made steps towards offering a full range of financial services and greatly increased their market share.
Overall, the U.S. advantage from NAFTA is its virtually unlimited access to the Mexican market, which has been an incentive for the United States to restructure its domestic banking system. In the long run, NAFTA will help develop U.S. banking to compete not only in the NAFTA area but in other world markets as well. Another benefit of NAFTA will be increased opportunities for U.S. and Canadian financial service companies (via the joint venture route), which will necessitate foreign companies to overcome cultural and language barriers. A wide variety of U.S. firms with existing investments in Mexico will be able to acquire previously prohibited majority ownership, including 100 percent ownership, in their investments. New U.S. entrants in many Mexican markets may start their own wholly-owned firms in Mexico
The greatest effect that the NAFTA financial service agreement has had on Canada is the liberalization of their financial sector. Many banks and financial institutions have been increasing in size through mergers and acquisitions. In 2001, the Royal Bank of Canada acquired Centura Banks and its 240

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