North American Free Trade Agreement

Japanese: 北米自由貿易協定 - ほくべいじゆうぼうえききょうてい（英語表記）North American Free Trade Agreement

A free trade agreement concluded between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The current form was established when Mexico joined the USA-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in 1989, in 1994. The Clinton administration, which felt threatened by the progress of EU integration and the economic development of East Asia, passed the agreement despite strong domestic opposition to Mexico's membership. Meanwhile, in Mexico, then President Salinas, who had temporarily resolved the country's accumulated debt problem, hoped to establish a growth trajectory through an open-door policy. This agreement led to increased investment from the United States to Mexico, and also increased exports from Mexico to the United States and Canada. Factories of Asian countries and American companies were concentrated in the export bonded processing zones (maquiladoras) established in the border area between the United States and Mexico, but the bonded system was abolished in November 2000. The United States concluded a free trade agreement with Jordan in October 2000, reached an agreement with Chile, the sixth country, in 2003, and concluded CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) with six Central American countries in May 2004, although the date for its entry into force has not yet been decided. Mexico also independently put into force a free trade agreement with the EU in July 2000.

(Professor Toru Iwami, University of Tokyo / 2007)

North American Free Trade Agreement

A free trade agreement agreed upon in 1992 by the three North American countries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It was launched in January 1994. It has a population of about 400 million and forms a market with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of about 14.4 trillion dollars. The United States plans to use this as a base to expand the free trade area to the whole of North and South America. However, there is dissatisfaction in Mexico that the large influx of American companies and products is putting pressure on the domestic economy, including agriculture.

(Chihiro Ito, Asahi Shimbun reporter / 2007)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

米国、カナダ、メキシコの3カ国間で締結された自由貿易協定。1989年に発効した米加自由貿易協定(USA‐Canada Free Trade Agreement)に、94年にメキシコが参加して現行の形となった。EU統合の進展、東アジアの経済発展に脅威を感じたクリントン米政権がメキシコ加盟に対する国内の根強い反対を押し切って成立させた。一方、メキシコでは累積債務問題をとりあえず解消させたサリナス大統領(当時)が、対外開放政策によって成長軌道の定着を望んでいた。この協定をきっかけに米国からメキシコへの投資が伸び、またメキシコから米国、カナダへの輸出が伸びた。米国とメキシコの国境地帯に設けられた輸出保税加工区(マキラドーラ)にアジア諸国や米国企業の工場が集中していたが、2000年11月に保税制度は廃止された。なお、米国は00年10月にヨルダンと自由貿易協定を締結したのを始め、03年には6カ国目となるチリと合意、さらに04年5月に入って中米6カ国とCAFTA(中米自由貿易協定)を締結したが発効時期は未定。またメキシコは独自に00年7月、EUとの自由貿易協定を発効させた。

(石見徹東京大学教授／ 2007年)

北米自由貿易協定

1992年に北米地域の米国とカナダ、メキシコの3カ国が合意した自由貿易の協定。94年1月発足。人口約4億、国内総生産(GDP)の合計約14兆4000万ドルの市場を形成。米国はこれを母体として南北アメリカ全域に自由貿易地域を拡大する方針。とはいえメキシコでは、米国の企業や製品が大量に流入し農業など国内経済を圧迫している、との不満がある。

(伊藤千尋朝日新聞記者／ 2007年)

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