Journal Article

Has NAFTA changed North American trade?

Abstract: The controversy over the success or failure of NAFTA is now bleeding over into discussion about the benefits of extending the trade accord to other countries in the Western Hemisphere. The NAFTA debate has typically focused on its impact on employment. But to understand the overall economic effects of NAFTA, it is important to first determine its impact on trade. In this article, David Gould explores NAFTA's effects on North America's trading patterns since its implementation in 1994. He finds that although it is difficult to distinguish any effect of NAFTA on trade between Canada and Mexico or Canada and the United States, trade between the United States and Mexico has significantly increased since 1994.

Bibliographic Information

Provider: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Part of Series: Economic and Financial Policy Review

Publication Date: 1998

Issue: Q 1

Pages: 12-23