It should come as no surprise that President Donald Trump is set on tearing down the North American Free Trade Agreement, commonly referred to as NAFTA, and has vowed to do anything and everything in his power to see to the end of an era. Also, it doesn’t take being a graduate with an online masters in political science from George Washington University to understand the significance of this trade agreement and why so many people are concerned about ongoing relationships between the three North American Countries involved in NAFTA.
What Is NAFTA?
In terms of global politics, NAFTA is huge. It is a free trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States, the biggest global trade agreement by the way, and the purpose of the agreement is the elimination of tariffs on trade between the nations. It was signed into legislation in 1994 with the hopes of strengthening the economies throughout North America because of the free trade zone.
According to the NAFTA website, this agreement has helped to build wealth for everyone involved, from workers to companies to governments. The site then goes on to talk about how the lives of those living in all three countries of North America have benefited and been enriched by a free trade agreement. President Trump, on the other hand, sees the agreement in a much different way.
Inequality of Benefits Are at the Heart of Trump’s Displeasure
The underlying reason President Trump opposes NAFTA, and has for a very long time in his own words, is because he feels both Mexico and Canada are reaping greater benefits from the agreement than the United States. He feels that American farmers and workers are the real losers in all this because we are not getting fair tariffs for exports. President Trump is adamant in saying the agreement is not balanced and that the other two member states benefit far more than we do at home. He feels we are benefiting those nations to the decline in our own. For more than 20 years, any student studying for a masters in political science online or on campus has had to study this historic trade agreement but with its imminent demise, it will be relegated to the ranks of political history.
Prime Minister’s View of Trump’s First Year as President
According to a report in the online journal, The Blaze, Prime Minister Trudeau respects President Trump for the job he has done in his first year as Commander in Chief and even though this new round of talks on NAFTA is stalling out, the Prime Minister still speaks favorably of the US President. He states that they may disagree on the impact of NAFTA, but they are on the same page in other areas such as a harder stance on terrorists and securing each nation’s borders.
Sometimes it’s good to know that relations aren’t as strained as the media would have us believe and that world leaders can work together, even with radically differing points of view.