Researcher: NAFTA has brought few benefits to Mexico

[question everything]

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/02/05/news/top_stories/2_4_0422_23_12.txt

(snip)

The trade agreement was supposed to attract capital that would help transform Mexico's economy from its third-world status into a modern first-world economy. But there is little evidence that it has substantially benefited Mexico, said Maria de los Angeles Pozas, who spoke Wednesday at UC San Diego's Center for Mexican-American Studies.

(snip)

Mexican economists are still split as to whether NAFTA has been, on balance, good or bad for the country. Some point to increases in exports of electronics and some agricultural products, such as avocados and flowers.

Other researchers complain that few of Mexico's poorest residents, such as the 25 million living in rural areas, have been able to benefit from the treaty. They argue that agriculture has been hurt by taxpayer-subsidized U.S. farm products, including corn, a staple of the Mexican diet.

(snip)

[afraid_of_the_dark]

1. Good thing we have NAFTA...

otherwise I'd have to buy premade guacamole instead of making it with fresh avocados. :eyes:

[FloridaPat]

2. I live in Florida, and a lot of or food comes from Mexico!

We have tons of mango plantations here in the state, but all our mangos come from Mexico - not down the street. Most of the fruit sold comes from somewhere else. So, who's making all the money??? Maybe the big corporations - again.

[truthspeaker]

3. but it has vastly improved the lives of Mexicans who were already rich!

NAFTA is working as intended: rich capitalists in the US get cheap materials and labor. Rich capitalists in Mexico have new markets for the resources and workers they are exploiting.

It's much better than old-style imperialism, because you don't even have to pretend to govern the countries you are exploiting.

[robcon]

4. The biggest benefit of NAFTA to Mexico is political

The collapse of the peso (due to the unsustainable economic policies of the PRI in the late 90's), led to a modicum of political pluralism and multiparty politics in Mexico.

[ramapo]

5. Mexican jobs lost to China

I've read a few reports of manufacturers who moved first from the US to Mexico but have now moved on to cheaper labor in China.