On balance, the benefits of United States participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement outweigh the consequences.
NAFTA is
an agreement signed by
Canada,
Mexico, and the
United States, creating a trilateral
trade bloc in
North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994.
[4] It superseded the
Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
By eliminating tariffs, NAFTA increases investment opportunities. The NAFTA agreement is 2,000 pages, with eight sections and 22 chapters.
The three signatories agreed to remove trade barriers between them.
Why NAFTA's Six Advantages Outweigh Its Six Disadvantages
Live Long and Prosper
Debra AI Prediction
Post Argument Now Debate Details +
Arguments
Reasons to choose NEGATION of the resolution:
(Source 1: thebalance.com)
N.A.F.T.A : led to the loss of 500,000-750,000 U.S. jobs. Most were in the manufacturing industries in California, New York, Michigan, and Texas. Many manufacturing companies moved to Mexico because labor was cheap. The automotive, textile, computer, and electrical appliance industries were impacted the most.
Second, job migration suppressed wages. Companies threatened to move to Mexico to keep workers from joining unions. Without the unions, workers could not bargain for better wages. This strategy was so successful that it became standard operating procedure. Between 1993 and 1995, half of all companies used it. By 1999, that rate had grown to 65 percent.
Third, NAFTA put Mexican farmers out of business. It allowed U.S. government-subsidized farm products into Mexico. Local farmers could not compete with the subsidized prices. As a result, 1.3 million farmers were put out of business, according to the Economic Policy Institute. It forced unemployed farmers to cross the border illegally to find work. In 1995, there were 2.9 million Mexicans living in the United States illegally. It increased to 4.5 million in 2000, probably due to NAFTA
The recession drove that figure to 6.9 million in 2007. In 2014, it fell to 5.8 million, roughly double where it was before NAFTA.
Fourth, unemployed Mexican farmers went to work in substandard conditions in the maquiladora program. Maquiladora is where United States-owned companies employ Mexican workers near the border. They cheaply assemble products for export back into the United States. The program grew to employ 30 percent of Mexico's labor force.
Fifth, U.S. companies degraded the Mexican environment to keep costs low. Agribusiness in Mexico used more fertilizers and other chemicals. The result was $36 billion more per year in pollution. Rural farmers were forced into marginal land to stay in business. They cut down 630,000 hectares of forests per year. That deforestation contributes to global warming.
Sixth, NAFTA allowed Mexican trucks access into the United States. Mexican trucks are not held to the same safety standards as American trucks. Congress never allowed this provision to go into effect.Immigration
Forced jobless Mexicans to cross the border illegally
Workers
U.S. unions lost leverage. Mexican workers were exploited
Environment
Canada exploited shale fields. Mexican environment deteriorated
  Considerate: 94%  
  Substantial: 89%  
  Spelling & Grammar: 86%  
  Sentiment: Negative  
  Avg. Grade Level: 9.34  
  Sources: 8  
  Relevant (Beta): 6%  
  Learn More About Debra