Read the following article on NAFTA and fill in the appropriate information on the chart. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) NAFTA is a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico that went into effect on January 1, 1994. It called for an elimination of tariffs (taxes on outgoing or incoming goods) and gradually phasing out others on US goods shipped to Mexico over a period of about 15 years. The 3 countries did not have embargoes in place, but this agreement made it easier to trade between them. NAFTA has been controversial since it was first proposed. However, since it was signed, there has been economic growth in all three nations with a significant increase in the standard of living in Mexico. Some argue that business owners are profiting the most not average people. Labor unions in Canada and the United States strongly opposed NAFTA for fear that jobs would move to Mexico because of lower labor costs. As of 2011, an estimated 700,000 American jobs have moved south of the border. On a brighter note, American-owned factories have safety equipment for their workers unlike many Mexican-owned factories did before NAFTA. Farmers in Mexico have opposed NAFTA because US farmers are eligible to receive subsidies (financial help from the government) which forced many Mexican farmers out of business. Agricultural exports from Mexico have averaged about 10% higher since the agreement began. Foreign-owned factories have been accused of abusing the less restrictive environmental laws of Mexico. To counter this, a separate environmental agreement was signed to provide environmental protection especially along the US-Mexico border. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the laws are being strictly followed. Issues Pros (+) and Cons (-) Economy + - Labor + - Agriculture + - Environment + - Tariff— Embargo—