Supporters have capped NAFTA because it has opened up Mexican markets to U.S. companies like never before. The Mexican market is growing rapidly, which promises more export opportunities, which means more jobs. However, proponents have struggled to convince the American public that NAFTA would do more good than harm. Their main efforts have been to convince citizens that all consumers have as wide a choice of products at as low a price as possible, which means that consumers would be the main beneficiaries of lowered trade barriers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of small businesses, was one of THE most active supporters of NAFTA and organized small and medium-sized business owners and employees to support the agreement. This support was essential to counter the efforts of organized work to put an end to the agreement. Some small businesses have been directly affected by NAFTA.
In the past, large firms have always had an advantage over small businesses, as large firms could afford to build and maintain offices and/or production sites in Mexico, which avoided many of the old trade restrictions on exports. In addition, pre-NAFTA legislation provided that U.S. service providers who wanted to do business in Mexico had to establish a physical presence there, which was simply too expensive for small businesses. Small businesses were stuck, they could not afford to build, and they could not afford export tariffs either. NAFTA eliminated the competitive conditions by giving small businesses the opportunity to export to Mexico at the same costs as larger firms and removing the requirement that a company establish a physical presence in Mexico to do business there. The lifting of these restrictions meant that large new markets were suddenly open to small businesses that had previously done business only in the United States. This was considered particularly important for small businesses that produced goods or services that had matured in the U.S. markets. Mexico is the third largest trading partner of the United States and the second largest export market for U.S. products.
In 2018, Mexico was our third largest trading partner (after Canada and China) and the second largest export market. Total trade in goods and services totaled $678 billion and this trade directly and indirectly supports millions of jobs in the United States. In 2018, the United States sold $265 billion in U.S. products to Mexico and $34 billion in services for a total of $299 billion in U.S. sales to Mexico. Mexico is the top or second largest export destination for 27 U.S. states. The rules of origin (ROO) are contained in the final text of the free trade agreement. From time to time, a particular roo may be revised. You`ll find the latest version of ROC in the U.S.
Harmonized Tariff Plan, General Notes — General Note 33. NAFTA allows your company to send qualified goods to customers in Canada and Mexico duty-free. Goods can be challenged in different ways depending on NAFTA`s rules of origin. This may be because the products are fully obtained or manufactured in a NAFTA party, or because, according to the product`s rule of origin, it takes enough work and equipment in a part of NAFTA to make the product what it is when it is exported. The full text of the agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada is available here. Controversy over the provisions of the Treaty on the Application of Environmental Protection remained high in the late 1990s. North American trade interests have tried to weaken a major NAFTA agreement on environmental protection and enforcement. This agreement – one of the few provisions welcomed by environmental groups allows groups and ordinary citizens to criticise Member States for not enforcing their own laws