Understanding The North American Free Trade Agreement Legal And Business Consequences Of Nafta

Understanding the North American Free Trade Agreement is an easy-to-understand summary and analysis of the major provisions and side agreements of this landmark accord. It's written in terms designed to address the needs of non-experts, but also contains the detailed information that the experienced international trade executive or attorney will find indispensable.

Every international corporate executive, customs broker, banker, and attorney needs to know what the new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will mean to their business and their client's business. This book is an easy to understand summary and analysis of the major provisions of this landmark accord and the side agreements negotiated to assure its passage. It is written in terms simple enough for the layman, but also contains the detailed information that will assist the experienced international trade executive or attorney. This book is designed to be a practical daily reference tool on your desk or in your briefcase, not just in the library shelf.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a modified and modernized version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), will continue to govern most economic relationships in North America, including the more than $1.3 trillion in annual regional trade in goods and services, for the foreseeable future. This book provides a detailed analysis and critique of the provisions of the USMCA and the USMCA’s relation to NAFTA. It is designed to assist lawyers and non-lawyers alike, including law, economics and public policy scholars, business professionals and governmental officials who require an understanding of one of the world’s most economically and politically significant regional trade agreements.

On July 1, 2020, after much expectation and delay, the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—a greatly revised version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994—came into effect. This timely book by the author of the preeminent guide to NAFTA and an active participant and private sector advocate in the USMCA negotiation and legislative process provides a chapter-by-chapter analysis of the new agreement, clearly describing what has changed from the earlier agreement and what is new. After a concise but expertly calibrated summary of NAFTA, the author proceeds systematically through a practical analysis of each USMCA provision, emphasizing such crucial new elements as the following: new rules on intellectual property rights; stricter rules of origin within the automotive industry; major reforms in Mexican labor laws and their enforceability; opening of Canada’s agricultural and dairy sector to more U.S. competition; entirely new chapter on digital trade; new dispute mechanisms; requirement of an increased minimum wage in auto plants; and a new chapter on environmental standards. Changes in such important aspects of trade as textiles and apparel, ownership of hydrocarbons, cross-border trade in services, and anticorruption measures are also fully described. The USMCA is a response to a United States initiative to renegotiate NAFTA. As a key regional trade agreement with vast global ramifications, familiarity with its content and rules is essential for all business, legal, policymaking, and academic parties concerned with international trade. This useful practical guide will be a welcome addition to private and corporate libraries, including corporate counsel, customs brokers, freight forwarders, logistics and import-export managers, government officials, and academics who need a thorough understanding of the new agreement.

This book is a collection of timely and detailed articles on the North American Free Trade Agreement written by experts in the field who examine the Canadian, US and Mexican points of view. The scholars provide an overview as well as their insights of how NAFTA impacts on macroeconomic issues, national perspectives and bilateral issues, cross-border and industry-specific issues and the environment. This book serves as an excellent primary source of information on many of the significant aspects of NAFTA.

Examines (1) the overall economic effects of the NAFTA on the economies of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada; (2) the key NAFTA provisions and related legal changes that may affect individual sectors; and (3) the short- and long-term impact of NAFTA on important industrial, energy, agricultural, and service sectors of the U.S. economy. Also summarizes recent economic developments in Mexico. Tables and figures.

"Very readable book written during height of NAFTA debate. Remains a valuable resource for discussing impact of the trade agreement in Mexico and US"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.