Despite the recent political rhetoric against it, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continues to be a resounding economic success and is largely driving growing U.S. exports, which remain a bright spot in an otherwise troubled economy.
Consider the following statistics regarding cross-border trade in North America:
- In 1992 prior to NAFTA, according the U.S. Census Bureau,U.S. exports to Mexico totaled just over $40 billion. Last year, U.S. exported more than $136 billion in goods to Mexico. Similarly, growth in U.S. exports to Canada has more than doubled since NAFTA was ratified.
- According to the U.S. Department of Commerce – International Trade Administration, each day the NAFTA partners conduct nearly $2.4 billion in trilateral goods trade.
- According to US DOT, total goods trade between the United States and its NAFTA partners grew from $293 billion in 1993 to $797 billion in 2007, an increase of 172%. Total services trade between the United States and our NAFTA partners grew from $44 billion in 1993 to $99 billion in 2006, an increase of 125%.
- In 2006, U.S. two-way trade in goods with our NAFTA partners more than exceeded U.S. two-way trade with the twenty-seven members of the European Union and Japan combined.
While such facts serve to strongly counter political speech in opposition to NAFTA and free trade, a larger and more serious threat to the trade agreement’s continued success looms, the issue of growing wait-times impacting cross-border travel, trade and the associated just-in-time manufacturing and commercial industries that have boomed along our borders with Canada and Mexico since the inception of NAFTA.
Last year the Border Trade Alliance (BTA) launched a successful grassroots campaign to educate Congress, the media and businesses and residents of border communities about the increased delays at our ports of entry. The issue of wait-times remains a major policy priority for the BTA and we continue to share information and recommendations with policy-makers to address this critical economic issue in U.S. border communities and our nation.
The current lack of comprehensive statistics regarding the scope and impact of wait-times at our land ports has made it difficult for policy-makers in Washington to determine the appropriate federal response. Recognizing the important need to confirm the impact of wait-times on trade and commerce, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-TX) have introduced legislation (S.2425 and H.R. 4309) that requires the study of the economic impact and scope of the growing wait-times experienced at land border crossings in the United States. The BTA strongly supports these measures and is pressing Congress for their swift passage.
“There are a number of contributing factors to increased wait-times at our border crossings,” said Maria Luisa O’Connell, President of the Border Trade Alliance. “Providing policy-makers and the public with hard data will help identify the root causes of these delays as well as the appropriate federal response.”
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We just posted a video on a new website focused on the U.S.-Mexico border that you might be interested in. We interviewed the mayors of both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, and both had something to say about being such a major landport, where 40% of all trade between the two companies passes through in one way or another. I hope you can check it out.
http://www.borderstories.org/index.php/laredo-nuevo-laredo-los-dos-laredos.html
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The BTA reserves the right to post comments it feels are appropriate to creating a dialog around border issues. We are interested in hearing from all points of view and encourage those with unique, constructive perspectives to contribute their view points to help shape the future of our borders. BTA is a tri-national organization and will not accept posts that contain derogatory comments made towards citizens, groups, or organizations of any kind.