On January 1, 1989, the United States-Canada Free Trade Agreement was adopted and put into effect, freeing up trade between the two countries. On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was ratified and implemented, eliminating tariffs between the three regions of North America. The goal of this agreement was to increase jobs and economic opportunities through more trade and improve the economies of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The entry into force of NAFTA sparked a political debate in which many people questioned whether this agreement was more beneficial or detrimental to North America overall. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Many policy benefits have resulted from NAFTA. Since the tariffs were removed, trade has tripled between the United States, Mexico and Canada, increasing economic output. In addition, NAFTA directly created approximately 5.4 million jobs and, thanks to the meteoric increase in trade, this number increased to 17.7 million. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has increased more than threefold. The article Pros and Cons of NAFTA stated: "The United States increased its FDI in Mexico from $15.2 billion in 1993 to $104.4 billion in 2012, and from $69.9 billion in Canada in 1993 to $352.9 billion in 2015. Mexico increased its investment in the United States by 1,283%. over the same period, while Canada's FDI increased by 911%. Prices fell, which benefited consumers, and public spending, or tendering, was also supported. Competition has increased, and due to the elimination of tariffs, the costs of oil, food, transportation and others have decreased. The GDP (gross domestic product) of the United States also increased from 1992 onwards due to NAFTA, meaning increased demand for imports from other regions. NAFTA has been criticized for its major economic disadvantages. American jobs have been destroyed and wages suppressed. Many industries have moved operations from the United States, where labor is very expensive, to Mexico, where labor is cheap. The majority of industries were manufacturing companies. About 682,900 total jobs were transferred from the United States to Mexico between 1994 and 2010. Trade deficits reached $97.2 billion. Industries that did not move to Mexico took advantage of the situation and used it as leverage against unionization drives. Workers did not have much business authority without union support, and therefore wages could not increase. 64-71% of manufacturing industries have used this threat. NAFTA also had a huge effect on Mexico. Mexican farmers were unable to compete with financed agricultural products from the United States, forcing 6.9 million farmers to lose their jobs in 2007. Maquiladora workers, cheap Mexican workers who assembled produce for the United States. near the border, were exploited. Their labor rights were taken away, they could be forced to work more than 12 hours a day, and women were sometimes forced to take a pregnancy test before applying. Mexican companies used more fertilizer due to competitive pressure, and farmers expanded their holdings. At.