As Jeffrey Davidow, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, recounted last night in the Sanford Institute, opponents of NAFTA feared that the free trade agreement would result in a great "sucking sound" as U.S. jobs crossed borders.
Davidow and Gordon Giffin, U.S. ambassador to Canada, stressed in their talks that the 1995 North American Free Trade Agreement has instead brought unparalleled prosperity to all three countries involved.
To hear the extent of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico relationship, about 50 people packed last night's forum, "The Future of North America," featuring the two ambassadors.
Giffin, Trinity '71, focused his speech on the growing North American economic partnerships. Davidow talked mainly about how public policy research can help to improve relations between the three countries.
Fritz Mayer, associate professor of public policy and director of the North American Studies Program, introduced the two ambassadors and painted a picture of the North American continent.
"It has been said about nations that geography is destiny," said Mayer, who was one of NAFTA's architects. "In that regard, the U.S. is most fortunate. We're blessed with two great neighbors."
Giffin cited many numbers in his speech, all documenting the massive trade relationship between North American countries, and the significant boost that NAFTA added to that relationship.
For example, Giffin said there is more than $1 billion in trade every day between the United States and Canada, an amount that surpasses the daily trading sum between the United States and 15 European countries.
In terms of economic growth due to NAFTA, Giffin cited the 10 percent increase in trade in 1999 and noted that the United States trades more with the province of Ontario than with either Germany or Japan.
In order to continue NAFTA's momentum, Giffin said, it should be expanded to include Latin America, and should cover issues such as culture, biotechnology and e-commerce.
"NAFTA has been a resounding success," Giffin said. "There can be no doubt that we do better when our neighbors are doing well."
Davidow focused his speech on how public policy should function in the age of NAFTA, drawing on "intermestic" issues-domestic issues that affect international policy or vice versa, like immigration and drug policy.
Noting that the United States turns 50,000 Mexicans away from the border every day, Davidow pointed out the contributions of the millions of "undocumented" Mexicans who do cross the border every year.
"Without the undocumented, there would be no agriculture industry in California," he said. "You would go to the supermarket and broccoli or lettuce would cost a lot more. We are stopping people, but thank heavens for all that get through. Is that a correct public policy?"
Davidow said drugs have been a traditional source of conflict between the United States and Mexico. As a model of sensible international drug policy, he cited the United States' recent $11.3 million grant to the Colombian government, to help the country pursue drug enforcement.
The post-speech questions reflected the wide variety of issues concerning the North American relations, including trade with China, environmental and energy policy and the Mexican elections.
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