NAFTA Still Damaging the American Economy and Workforce [View all]

[midnight]

"The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented in 1994, two decades ago, under the guise of “free trade” – an agreement whose purpose was to remove trade barriers between Mexico, Canada and the United States. The result was nothing short of a disaster for the United States.

Before NAFTA was signed the United States actually traded at a surplus with Mexico. Mexico continues to be a major trading partner for the United States (our third largest), but that surplus has turned into a consistent deficit. In 2012 our imports from Mexico exceeded our exports by $61 billion. That is $61 billion that shipped across borders instead of being kept in the U.S. where it can create more jobs.

A recent study found that from its implementation until 2013, NAFTA had cost the U.S. 1 million jobs. This is a staggering figure, and yet it tells only part of the story. American jobs have left because factories have left, which will make it even more difficult to restart the American economy. We are losing institutional knowledge that once made us the most productive country in the world, and we are doing so because of a failed policy our politicians refuse to put a stop to NAFTA.

As a candidate, President Obama campaigned under the guise of a trade reformer. He said he would renegotiate NAFTA, and even made ads denouncing his opponent’s support of the trade deal.But since entering office Obama has acted like every other president of late, in that he has embraced free trade as a solution to America’s economic problems. He has failed to act against NAFTA, and has embraced other NAFTA-like “free trade” deals that are destroying American jobs."
http://economyincrisis.org/content/nafta-still-damaging-the-american-economy-and-workforce