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NAFTA Essay

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NAFTA
Since the beginning of civilization, trade has been an important issue. Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas in search of a faster and safer trade route to India. We as Americans fought for our independence over trade related issues, such as tariffs and rules on with whom we were allowed to export and import goods. Our people have always fought for the rights and ability to buy and sell what they want at a reasonable price. The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, is yet another attempt at this. NAFTA was signed on December 17, 1992 and put into effect on January 1, 1994 (SICE). It is a trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This paper will explain all the finer points of the agreement, its …show more content…

(SICE)
In layman’s terms, NAFTA hoped to encourage trade by eliminating the former obstacles in order to facilitate the ease of goods and services across all borders. It also expected to improve fair competition by making all countries abide by the rules laid out in the agreement.. An example of how NAFTA has improved investment opportunities is evident in Canada, where the “direct investment in the United States and Mexico[…] has increased by 340 percent between 1990 and 2002 from $60 billion to 205 billion. In addition [Canada] benefited from $225 billion in American and Mexican direct investment in Canada” (Further). As far as intellectual property in concerned, everyone knows that it’s easy to get foreign, more specifically Mexican made, designer knock-offs. Under NAFTA, these practices would be prohibited and each country would have to respect the other’s trademarks, copyrights, etc. NAFTA sets out guild lines to deal with disputes as well as a set of rules that outlines practices and procedures. Through these objectives, NAFTA is tying to improve the relations and the economies of all three nations.
Of course, no one would enter into an agreement on just good faith. There are many rules and conditions of NAFTA. One of these rules is the Rule of Origin, which is a requirement that encourages “the production of goods with in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico by granting them lower tariffs” (Qualifying). However, you can’t just slap a

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