NAFTA's Effect on North American Trade Over the Past 20 Years

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has had a profound impact on the economies of the United States, Canada and Mexico. For all the intense debate it inspires, the 23-year-old pact has boosted trilateral trade and created a far more integrated North American economy. However, as we’ll soon see, the debate over NAFTA’s benefits and discontents reflects a long-standing controversy over globalization and its impact on jobs, wages and economic prosperity.