[Texgreen] Ag Sec'y Conner: NAFTA has been a remarkable success

[Margaret]

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/01/0001.xml

[short url: http://urlin.it/e12d ]

Release No. 0001.08
Contact: Keith Williams (202)720-4623

Statement by Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner on
the Full Implementation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Jan. 2, 2008

Washington, DC – As of Jan. 1, 2008, the North America Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) is now fully implemented, opening an historic new
chapter in one of the most successful trade agreements in our history.
Since its inception in 1994, NAFTA has been a remarkable success story
for all three partners. It has contributed to significant increases in
agricultural trade and investment between the United States, Canada
and Mexico and has benefited farmers, ranchers and consumers
throughout North America.

In 1994, our combined agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico
totaled $10.1 billion. They are expected to reach $28 billion in 2008.
Since the agreement's implementation, two-way agricultural trade
between the United States and Canada has risen from $10.4 billion to
$30.4 billion. Between the United States and Mexico, this trade has
risen from $5.9 billion to $24 billion.

When talking about NAFTA, however, the significance of the agreement
goes far beyond the trade numbers themselves. NAFTA has served as a
model and foundation for our ongoing efforts to advance the objective
of trade liberalization. In this hemisphere, the positive lessons from
NAFTA have helped facilitate the move toward the free flow of
agricultural products between an ever expanding number of countries.
Our recently concluded trade agreements with Costa Rica, the Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru, and,
pending Congressional approval, Colombia and Panama, will strengthen
democratic institutions, strip away barriers to trade, eliminate
tariffs, open markets, and promote investment, economic growth and
opportunity.

With the full implementation of NAFTA, the last remaining trade
restrictions on a handful of agricultural commodities such as U.S.
exports to Mexico of corn, dry edible beans, nonfat dry milk and high
fructose corn syrup and Mexican exports to the United States of sugar
and certain horticultural products are now removed. We will continue
to work with Mexico to build on the successes achieved to date. Since
2005, the United States has invested nearly $20 million in programs
and technical exchanges to assist Mexico in addressing production,
distribution and marketing-related challenges associated with the
transition to free and open trade.

We look forward to working with our partners in Mexico and Canada to
find new and creative ways to promote agricultural trade and
strengthen our regional competitiveness. Our close collaboration and
strong partnership are essential to build on the successes already
achieved through NAFTA and to expand global trade opportunities for
all our citizens.

Last Modified: 01/02/2008