Example research essay topic: Free Trade Agreement Goods And Services - 1,077 words

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During World War II Mexico was in the very good business relations with the United States. Mexico provided a lot of raw materials in order to support American military needs. In that time the U. S. had an agreement with Mexico specifying that the country would export its resources only to the Allies. In 1986, Mexico became a full member of the WTO (the World Trade Organization) the international body that is responsible for regulating most of international trade.

The new options for the Mexican economy in the late 1980 's also revealed that more than two-thirds of total gross domestic product (GDP) of Mexico was made accessible to 100 percent foreign ownership. In January 1 st, 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement -NAFTA went into effect on, creating the largest free-trade zone in the world. All barriers to trade such as tariffs have been abolished in the zone. Goods and services are moving freely. Trade is mostly between Canada and the U.

S. and U. S. and Mexico.

Indeed, Mexico and Canada don't trade a lot. After first year being in NAFTA, the Mexican economy had one of the worse crises it has experienced in this century. It was caused by Mexico's growing trade deficit that was financed by foreign investment. Most of these investments were put in the stock market and the short-term bond market. When the bonds were not renewed, it led to the devaluation and bankruptcies. Today, Mexico ranks in the top ten of the world's trading countries, and number one in Latin America, with around 43 % of the region's total exports and 38 % of total imports.

Since Mexico is becoming successful in exporting, this is a clear indicator of the importance of international trade negotiations. One of recent events was the signing of free trade agreements (FTAs) with the Israel and European Union. It was positive event the European Union FTA is arguably Mexico's second most important trade initiative since it joined the NAFTA. Mexican exports to Europe are forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 27 % between 2001 and 2005. And thanks to the free trade agreement, an estimated 82 % of industrial products of Mexico will now come to the European market free of tariffs.

In recent years, Mexico has advanced reforms to its foreign investment law, and signed bilateral investment treaties with a number of countries, including Spain, Germany, France and Argentina. Between 1994 and 1999, Mexico received more than US$ 60 billion in foreign direct investment, of which over 60 % came from the U. S. and Canada. From 1994 to date, more than half of all foreign capital flows entering the country were invested in manufacturing industry. Once the classic example of an inward looking, state-run, and shielded economy, in the past 20 years Mexico has endured a considerable transformation.

Today, it is one of the worlds most open trading nations, with trade accords signed (or pending) with more than 30 countries. Mexico ranks as a second largest U. S. trading partner and, as WTO figures state, is number one among Latin American exporters and number eight globally. Mexico is in rush to make many foreign trade agreements. But it does not have coherent relationship between environment and economy.

And according to a recent telephone poll by the daily La Reforma newspaper, 68 % of Mexicans believe that international trade is good, because it has brought Mexico development, jobs, and prosperity. Only 18 % of the middle-class sample group considers that economic endures inequality, environmental damage, or loss of sovereignty. Development of international trading systems should be consistent with high levels of environmental protection. As far as all successful trade flows with European countries require the adoption of environmental norms and laws, it will surely effect on the NAFTA activity, taking into account the United States and Canada also dont have the standards of environmental protection. Since air pollution from freight traffic is significant in Mexico, Canada, and the United States and forecasted increases in truck and train traffic resulting from enhanced NAFTA trade will cause pollution levels to continue to rise.

For two keen competitors, trade relations between China and Mexico remain uneasy. Mexican officials, business executives and journalists have expressed the view that China's accession to the WTO will drastically change the way in which Mexico's trade will develop. The vulnerable sectors, from the Mexican point of view, are textiles, shoes, leather goods and toys. China is really a threat for Mexico in its relations with the U. S.

A. Chinese imports cause or threaten to cause a disruption in the market, so as to affect producers from any member nations, which Mexican expert traders view as a way of balancing trade with mainland competitors who have proved that they are often faster and more cost-effective when routing to market. Certainly, Mexicans are increasingly reliant on NAFTA with its biggest trading partner, the US - which is also the source of some 65 % of foreign investment. If costs and better quality products start to bite in American markets, the more flexible Chinese trade could prove an even bigger challenge. Since joining NAFTA, Mexico's trade with the US and Canada has increased, on average, by 12 % annually.

Today, Mexico is the US's third most important trading partner and accounts for 10 % of the U. S imports. It's a similar story in Canada, where Mexico is the country's third most important supplier of goods, and its main trading partner in Latin America. NAFTA has helped Mexico and the US to solve a dispute concerning the export of Mexican avocado to the US, and another concerning a tuna embargo.

It has helped enhance tariff reductions, and speed-up bilateral co-operation to promote and support the competitiveness of small and medium firms in both countries. Great expectations appeared while the negotiation with the EU because it is a step towards obtaining trade diversification and making trade a means of national development and not than just an end in itself. Mexico aims at reducing its dependence from the North American economies by increasing the number of its trade partners. The change in the composition of production is considered to become one of the most important impacts of international integration. International trade theory teaches that as economies interact more, the tendency is for each trading partner to specialize in the production of complementary goods and services rather than to substitute goods and services.

Research essay sample on Free Trade Agreement Goods And Services