Abstract

RUIZ, Clemente. Productive Restructuring and Integration: NAFTA, 20 Years Later. Prob. Des [online]. 2015, vol.46, n.180, pp.27-50. ISSN 0301-7036.

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force, there were expectations of stronger growth, more jobs and improved living conditions in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Twenty years later, although progressive productive integration has been achieved, its effects have been tremendously disparate, and welfare standards have diverged. This article proposes that the most positive aspect of the relationship between Mexico and other NAFTA members has, undoubtedly, been the development of global value chains, which emerged from enormous growth in trilateral trade. Finally, this work offers some reflections to bear in mind for the future of the agreement, aiming to build more solid and mutually beneficial economic and social relationships among the three countries.

Keywords : Commercial exchange; productive integration; global value chains; foreign investment; jobs.

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