Gruprile Intergraioniste din Zona American 1) NAFTA - Integrarea in America de Nord Zona de Liber Schimb din America de Nord

d (North America Free Trade Agreement NAFTA) Lansand la 1 ianuarie 1994 Acordul de Liber Schimb Nord American America de Nord este !romotoarea unei gru!"ri regionale care a im!licat inc" de la ince!ut limitarea la doar dou" as!ecte economice comer# $i in%esti#ii& 'e$i nu s-au !ro!us obiecti%e la (el de ambi#ioase !recum sunt cele ale )niunii *uro!ene anumite domenii !robleme de mediu $i condi#iile de munc" sunt de+a aco!erite !rin !re%ederile acordului& *%olu#ia !rocesului integra#ionist in aceast" regiune con(er" o serie de !articularit"#i care #in de atitudinea statelor membre (a#" de (enomenul de regionali,are (in s!ecial S)A) de ti!ologia economiilor care com!un res!ecti%a ,on" de liber schimb (dou" economii de,%oltate $i o #ar" in de,%oltare mai mult - su!er!uterea mondial"- S)A $i dou" state cu !oten#iale economice !olitice $i comerciale di(erite - .anada $i /e0icul)& Avantajele: NAFTA re!re,int" cea mai mare ,on" de liber schimb cu o !ia#" de 412 mil& consumatori $i cu o %aloare total" a !roduc#iei de bunuri $i ser%icii de 11333 mild& )S' (145 din !rodusul global mondial)6 NAFTA este o gru!are integra#ionist" care a ("cut !osibil" in decurs de un deceniu de la lansare o cre$tere economic" a !artenerilor de - 578 in ca,ul S)A 53 98 in ca,ul .anadei $i de 538 in ca,ul /e0icului6 Canada: 9ne in (i%e +obs in .anada is in !art lin:ed to international trade and .anada;s !ros!erit< is built on its o!enness to international trade and in%estment& As such the North American continental !artnershi! is =ithout a doubt an im!ortant com!etiti%e ad%antage (or .anada& .anada is using this continental !lat(orm as a =a< to hel! .anadian business embrace commercial o!!ortunities around the =orld& The United States: The largest and most di%ersi(ied econom< in the =orld the )nited States is a mar:et econom< =hose businesses are =orld leaders in the manu(acturing and high-tech sectors es!eciall< com!uters medical e>ui!ment and aeros!ace and in ser%ices including (inancial ser%ices and telecommunications and in agriculture& e!ico: Trade liberali,ation has trans(ormed and moderni,ed /e0ico;s %ibrant econom< b< success(ull< boosting trade and in%estment (lo=s& ?ithin +ust a (e= <ears /e0ico;s e0!orts ha%e di%ersi(ied (rom !rimaril< oil to include an arra< o( manu(actured !roducts ma:ing /e0ico one o( the largest e0!orters in the =orld&

Myth 1: NAFTA has not achieved its core goals of expanding trade and investment between Canada, the nited !tates, and Mexico" #eality: Since NAFTA came into e((ect trade among the NAFTA countries has more than tri!led reaching )S@949&1 billion& An 1337 .anada and the )nited States; in=ard (oreign direct in%estment (rom NAFTA !artner countries reached )S@429&7 billion& /ean=hile /e0ico has become one o( the largest reci!ients o( (oreign direct in%estment among emerging mar:ets and recei%ed more than )S@1B2 billion (rom its NAFTA !artners bet=een 1995 and 1337&

Myth $: NAFTA has res%lted in &ob losses" #eality: Since NAFTA came into e((ect the o%erall +ob gro=th has been strong in all three !artner countries& Across North America total em!lo<ment has gro=n b< almost 43 million +obs since 1995& Myth ': NAFTA h%rts wor(ers by eroding labor standards and lowering wages" #eality: The NAFTA !artners negotiated and im!lemented a !arallel agreement on labor coo!eration the North American Agreement on Labor .oo!eration (NAAL.)& The NAAL. adds a social dimension to NAFTA& Through the NAAL. the regional trading !artners see: to im!ro%e =or:ing conditions and li%ing standards and to !rotect enhance and en(orce basic =or:ers; rights& 9%er the <ears the NAAL. has hel!ed to im!ro%e =or:ing conditions and li%ing standards in .anada the )&S& and /e0ico& At has also raised the !ublic !ro(ile o( ma+or labor rights issues including !regnanc<-based discrimination secret ballot %oting !rotection contracts and !rotection o( migrant =or:ers& The NAAL. !romotes the e((ecti%e en(orcement o( domestic labor la=s in all three countries and highlights coo!eration on labor matters in three :e< areas- industrial relations occu!ational health and sa(et< and em!lo<ment standards& An addition NAFTA has !romoted higher =ages& An /e0ico (or e0am!le e0!ort (irms em!lo< one in (i%e =or:ers6 these =or:ers are !aid 438 more on a%erage than those in none0!ort +obs& Firms =ith (oreign direct in%estment em!lo< nearl< 138 o( the labor (orce and !a< 128 more than the domestic a%erage manu(acturing =age& Myth ): NAFTA negatively impacts the North American man%fact%ring base" #eality: Since NAFTA came into e((ect North American manu(acturers ha%e en+o<ed better access to materials technologies ca!ital and talent a%ailable across the continent& Thousands o( manu(acturers ha%e ca!itali,ed on this to im!ro%e e((icienc< and better re(ine technolog< ma:ing them more com!etiti%e at home and around the =orld& )&S& manu(acturing out!ut rose b< 218 bet=een 1995 and 1337 com!ared =ith 418 bet=een 1973 and 1995& An 1337 )&S& manu(acturing e0!orts reached an all-time high o( )S@1&3 trillion& .anadian manu(acturing out!ut (real C'D) increased b< 218 bet=een 1995 and 1337 com!ared =ith 158 bet=een 1971 and 1995& 9%er the same !eriod (1995-1337) .anadian manu(acturing e0!orts gre= at a much (aster !ace (u! 135&28)& NAFTA has em!o=ered /e0ico;s industrial base b< (acilitating moderni,ation& As a strategic manu(acturing center in North America /e0ico enhances the region;s com!etiti%e status in the global mar:et!lace& Since NAFTA;s im!lementation /e0ico;s international !resence has been in%igorated b< the gro=th o( manu(acturing out!ut =hich has since tri!led& An addition /e0ico;s manu(actured e0!orts ha%e multi!lied (i%e times o%er the !ast 1B <ears&

"isadvantages o# NAFTA: U$S$ %o&s 'ere (ost:

Since labor is chea!er in /e0ico man< manu(acturingindustries mo%ed !art o( their !roduction (rom high-cost )&S& states& Eet=een 1994 and 1313 the )&S& trade de(icits =ith /e0ico totaled @9F&1 billion dis!lacing 271 933 )&S& +obs& (Go=e%er 112 433 occurred a(ter 133F and could ha%e been a result o( the (inancial crisis&) Nearl< 738 o( the losses =ere in manu(acturing& .ali(ornia Ne= Hor: /ichigan and Te0as =ere hit the hardest because the< had high concentrations o( the industries that mo%ed !lants to /e0ico& These industries included motor %ehicles te0tiles com!uters and electrical a!!liances& (Source- *conomic Dolic< Anstitute IThe Gigh .ost o( Free Trade I /a< 5 1311) U$S$ 'ages 'ere Suppressed: Not all com!anies in these industries mo%ed to /e0ico& The ones that used the threat o( mo%ing during union organi,ing dri%es& ?hen it became a choice bet=een +oining the union or losing the (actor< =or:ers chose the (actor<& ?ithout union su!!ort the =or:ers had little bargaining !o=er& This su!!ressed =age gro=th& Eet=een 1995 and 199B B38 o( all com!anies in the industries that =ere mo%ing to /e0ico used the threat o( closing the (actor<& E< 1999 that rate had gro=n to 2B8& e!ico)s Farmers 'ere *ut +ut o# ,usiness: Than:s to NAFTA /e0ico lost 1&5 million (arm +obs& The 1331 Farm Eill subsidi,ed )&S& agribusiness b< as much as 438 o( net (arm income& ?hen NAFTA remo%ed tari((s corn and other grains =ere e0!orted to /e0ico belo= cost& Jural /e0ican (armers could not com!ete& At the same time /e0ico reduced its subsidies to (armers (rom 55&18 o( total (arm income in 1993 to 15&18 in 1331& /ost o( those subsidies =ent to /e0icoKs large (arms an<=a<& (Source- Anternational Forum on Clobali,ation *0!osing the /<th o( Free Trade Februar< 1B 13356 The *conomist Tari((s and Tortillas Lanuar< 14 1337) a-uiladora 'or.ers 'ere /!ploited:
NAFTA e0!anded the ma>uiladora !rogram in =hich )&S&-o=ned com!anies em!lo<ed /e0ican =or:ers near the border to chea!l< assemble !roducts (or e0!ort to the )&S& This gre= to 538 o( /e0icoKs labor (orce& These =or:ers ha%e Ino labor rights or health !rotections =or:da<s stretch out 11 hours or more and i( <ou are a =oman <ou could be (orced to ta:e a !regnanc< test =hen a!!l<ing (or a +ob I according to .ontinental Social Alliance& (Source- ?orld!ress&org Lessons o( NAFTA A!ril 13 1331)

e!ico)s /nvironment "eteriorated: An res!onse to NAFTA com!etiti%e !ressure /e0ico agribusiness used more (ertili,ers and other chemicals costing @52 billion !er <ear in !ollution& Jural (armers e0!anded into more marginal land resulting in de(orestation at a rate o( 253 333 hectares !er <ear& (Source.arnegie *ndo=ment NAFTAKs Dromise and Jealit< 1334)