North American Free Trade Agreement

Mr. Salinas delivered an address to his nation regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement. He addressed Mexican concerns by saying that the treaty would not endanger Mexican sovereignty and that the borders of Mexico would not be immediately flooded with Canadian and U.S. goods. Negotiators had reached an agreement on the treaty which would link Mexico, the U.S., and Canada into the world’s largest trading area, consisting of 360 million consumers and $6 trillion in annual trade. The pact would eliminate all duties, tarriffs, and other trade barriers in North America over the next fifteen years if the legislatures of all three countries ratify the treaty. Translation to English from Spanish was by voiceover. close