Advantages of NAFTA-But for Whom?

NAFTA lowers food prices in much the same way. Food imports totaled $39.4 billion in 2013, up from $28.9 billion in 2009. It lowered the prices of fresh vegetables, chocolate, fresh fruit (except bananas) and beef the most. (Source: USTR, NAFTA Imports)

I don't know about anyone else, but when I went to Mexico on a vacation, I was told not to eat the fruit from the markets. I do my best to avoid the Mexican produce, it seems like the govt is really lax and I find it hard to believe there is safety built into the supply chain.

NAFTA modernized the U.S. auto industry by consolidating manufacturing and driving down costs. Most cars made in North America now have parts sourced from all three countries. The auto industry is less regional and more globally oriented. That more competitive nature allows the industry to fend off Japanese imports. Mexico exports more cars to the United States than Japan. Before the recession, Japan exported twice as many as Mexico. By 2020, Mexico will manufacture nearly 25% of all North American cars.

This is good for the large corps, I haven't seen huge price drops in cars/trucks from the cheap labor. The same was true when Electrolux move it's refrigerator plant from Michigan to Mexico. The base frig was still $375, I buy a lot of appliances and where things are made matters. Looks like Electrolux pocketed the savings from that sweet sweet cheap labor from Mexico.

Even imports from NAFTA partners created jobs. That's because nearly 40% of U.S. imports from Mexico originated with American companies. They designed the products domestically, then outsourced some portion of the process in Mexico. Without NAFTA, they would have gone to China.

That is how it is done. Design it, send to Mexico have the people make the parts/products in the state of the art factory, and go sleep in the parking lot (that's not a joke).
This is going to come to it's awful conclusion, a broken economy because we allowed our elected officials to convince us we don't need those dumb manufacturing jobs, we can all run around doing service jobs for each other. Hasn't and can't work.

NAFTA allowed all firms in member countries to bid on government contracts. This created a level-playing field for all companies within its borders. It also helps to cut government budget deficits by allowing more competition and lower-cost bids.

I have yet to see the budget deficit be cut, or is this a, "with out NAFTA the deficit would be so much worse" lie.

This seems like a cheerleader article for the stockholders but not for all the workers who have been canned because of this monstrosity. The real winners are the big corps that can exploit Mexico's workers and sell their products to US consumers at US manufactured prices.

Do we know of any other trade agreements that are on the horizon that are so important the meeting held to discuss them are secret? I'm sure that will work out great for the average American too.







www.thebalance.com...

a reply to: seasonal

Mr. Trump has Vowed to Dismantle the NAFTA Agreement and Replace it with Something that will bring Manufacturing Jobs back within U.S. Boarders . That is a Tall Order Considering the Jobs have been Gone for a Long Time Now .

If you want to know the true agenda of any "proposal" or agreement the key question to ask is always:

Cui bono?

Who benefits?

Globalization is the rich trying to get richer.

Money comes from the middle class and poor turning us into peons under their thumb.

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

Treaties are a glass of milk that is spilled. I don't know how easy it is to unspill them.

Globalization is the rich trying to get richer

a reply to: pianopraze

Globalization is the rich getting richer

The TPP, surely has more that has yet to be released on, it is NAFTA on steroids. Would like to see more come out about NAFTA to further discussion. Who benefits? The lobbyists, politicians, as mentioned the globalists, the whole of oligarchy that is the US now. Not to forget the Clinton Foundation as well.

a reply to: seasonal

They Must be Refilled with New Ideas .

Q: "Advantages of NAFTA-But for Whom?"

A: Drug Traffickers.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

January 1994: After being heavily promoted by Bill & Hillary Clinton, NAFTA signed into law.
[Incoming trucks from across the Mexican border will see a major increase each year thereby facilitating more drug shipments.
...

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

April 16, 2009: Cocaine Highways: Post-NAFTA, Most Drugs Cross U.S. Borders in Trucks
"Most of the drug shipments smuggled into the United States by the Mexican cartels are hidden in trucks that drive across U.S. border checkpoints in plain sight, with little fear of inspection, U.S. law enforcement officials tell ABC News." abcnews.go.com...

NAFTA has been for coke what TPP promises to be for heroin.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Under this view that NAFTA was at least in part motivated by the North American drug trade, it just occurred to me to compare the newer TPP concept in this same light....

...

ustr.gov...

It's all in the timeline.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Of Course if Elected , Mr. Trump puts a Damper in that Grand Plan eh ? I Wonder if a Hillary Presidency will Ensure it Succeeds ? ...Hmm...

NAFTA at 20: One Million U.S. Jobs Lost, Higher Income Inequality

That´s the simple reason why the overwhelming majority of 500 millions of european citizens don´t want any of the overseas TTIP, CETA, TISA etc! We don´t need to make the rich richer, at the expense of the middle class and already poor, which both will become even more poor and will have no time for their own lifes anymore, in the "bright", upcoming future, planned by the ultrarich and their willing vassals, to become even more ultrarich.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Thanks for the graphics. Pretty sickening isn't it? no wonder why Kratom has been put on the spot, gotta keep the Heroin trade strong as it's now pushing into the middle class.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Q: "Advantages of NAFTA-But for Whom?" A: Drug Traffickers.

Haven't we had 4 decades of the war on drugs?

Oh, don't worry. You all are just not taking a long enough view.

Someday, in the far flung future when this country is a crappy, third world hell hole like those countries are now ... you know, the ones worthy of manufacturing jobs today ... then those jobs will come back here.

By then, our descendents will all be a bunch of squat-p!ssing, uneducated ripe for exploitation morons and they'll think that pennies on the dollar (or the future currency educational equivalent) will be manna from their corporate masters' version of heaven. Then, this country will start to prosper very slowly.

Meanwhile, those places that are today slowly and painfully getting work and modernizing will begin to collapse because we will finally be taking all their jobs (and we'll be walking over their borders illegally too to find a higher standard of living)! See, they'll be a threat to TPTB who will need to bust them back down to size before they threaten the accepted master/serf order.

And the cycle will continue and the elite will watch it all from their crystal castles eating pizza.

a reply to: ketsuko
You know what makes me upset, is the fact that the large corps play the public like a bunch of fools. Like Nike, why in college a guy did an paper on them. Their shoes were made in malasia, where 3 workers lost both thumbs in a piece of equipment. The company would not put proper safety guards on. Mean while the 4$ shoes cost 60$ to ?.

My point is it doesn't lower costs, only increases profits, pollution, human misery, and wealth inequality.