Think of a time when a sense of competition made you perform better. Write 3-4 sentences about it.

orth merican ree rade greement

NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, was signed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NAFTA Who?

NAFTA What? NAFTA was written to create a “Free Trade Area” in North America. “Free Trade” in this context means that countries may freely trade without tariffs (taxes imposed on imported goods). Generally speaking, “free trade” means no trade barriers.

The purpose of the agreement is to: Allow for a freer movement of goods and services among the 3 countries. Promote healthy competition Protect the property rights of people and businesses in each country. Be able to resolve problems that arise among the countries. Encourage cooperation among countries. NAFTA Why?

PROSCONS Made it the LARGEST free-trade zone. Rules were added to make that people in ALL 3 countries could trade fairly with each other. Follow similar laws. U.S. feared that companies would move their factories to Mexico because labor costs were lower. Loss of jobs for American workers. Mexico feared there would be an increase in air and water pollution.

Most economists agree that the agreement has been good for the countries involved. NAFTA Pros

Free trade increases sales and profits for Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A., thus strengthening their economies. Lack of tariffs has allowed Mexico to sell its goods in the USA and Canada at lower prices. This makes Mexican products more competitive in these markets and increases Mexico’s profits as it tries to develop its economy. Free trade is an opportunity for the U.S. to provide financial help to Mexico by making jobs available in factories located there. NAFTA: Pros

Free trade has caused more U.S. jobs losses than gains, especially for higher-wage jobs.  Factories, called Maquiladoras, are built on the Mexican border and workers are hired there to make goods at a much lower wage than workers would be paid in the U.S.A. NAFTA: Cons

Choice Board Activity- Pick One 1. Acrostic Summary- Using the phrase “Latin America’s Economy” write an acrostic poem using short phrases to describe what you have learned about the economic factors of Latin America (Economies of Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Specialization, Trade Barriers, and NAFTA) 2. GIST statement- Write an exactly 25 word statement summarizing what you have learned about the economic factors of Latin America (Economies of Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Specialization, Trade Barriers, and NAFTA) 3. Absent Student Letter-Write a 1 paragraph letter to a student explaining what you have learned about the economic factors of Latin America (Economies of Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Specialization, Trade Barriers, and NAFTA)

LEFTSIDE WRITE: Come up with a caption for the picture.