POSTPONED – The Future of Trade in North America

This event has been postponed due to the ongoing effects of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey. We are working with the speakers to find a new date for this important discussion.

For almost a quarter of a century, Mexico, the United States and Canada have been bound by the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA has become a symbol of the relationship between all three nations, the foundation of their economic interactions and a facilitating framework for other cooperation arrangements. However, NAFTA has never been popular in the United States, and it has also drawn strong criticism in Mexico. During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, then-candidate Donald Trump pointed to NAFTA as an example of a “bad trade deal” and argued that it had hurt the U.S. workforce, particularly in the manufacturing sector, and contributed substantially to a ballooning trade deficit. He even called for “terminating” the agreement. As president, however, Trump is facing increasing resistance to his efforts to revise NAFTA amid debates over the potential impact to the U.S. economy if the accord is revised without careful forethought or, worse, revoked completely.

This conference brings together trade and industry experts and current and former government officials to explain the controversies behind NAFTA, the risks and opportunities of revising the agreement and the likely outcome of renegotiation.

This event is sponsored by the Baker Institute Mexico Center and International Economics Program and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Follow @BakerInstitute on Twitter and join the conversation online with #BakerNAFTA.

Agenda