what do you think of NAFTA?

Question

those individuals that would like to build up walls on the american border that is with mexico and recently suggested canadian border.

Answer 1

Free trade around the world will not work on a planet with so many different governments and different laws. I'll give you one example of why -
1. Shortly after NAFTA was introduced, Canadian farmers would bring their grain into the US to sell it (I'm not Canadian bashing here, the results of this are not their fault)
2. Grain prices fell in the US due to such a large supply.
The US farmer was left screwed. Why, you ask? Because chemicals used for farming in Canada helped produce heavier, healthier grain, and those chemicals are not legal for use in the US.
Free trade is a great ideal, but it introduces unforseen problems. Unless the governments involved are ready to address those problems in a timely manner, it hinders people.

How did this issue I described get resolved? After many attempts to gain government support, farmers along the border blocked border crossings and railroads to end the surge of incoming grain. After this, the governement finally got involved to reach resolution. This happened along the North Dakota/Canada border shortly after NAFTA was introduced.

Answer 2

I think NAFTA is a big drain on our economy. It was put into place with good intentions. It is a friendly way of doing business with our neighbors. However, history of the deal has shown that it hurts more than it helps.

First of all, the purpose of free trade is so that it can be beneficial to all partners involved. The problem is that it only benefits our nation's biggest companies that can afford to off-shore sections of their business to other countries like Mexico. The cost of importing finished goods is barely nothing with NAFTA in place, so there is now a penalty to stay in the U.S. since labor here is more expensive.

I could go on and on about NAFTA, but you get the point. However, I don't see how your question relates to border security. You can tighten up the borders without impacting NAFTA. The flow of goods in and out of this country won't be affected since it's "legal" traffic across the border. Is that what you were getting at?

Answer 3

Free exchange of goods is something completely different compared to the free entrance of workforce!

Free trade should be possible throughout the world, I think.