Our World

NAFTA Superhighways and Rails

As mentioned on page 97 or our text book, NAFTA took affect in 1994 to help with the movement of goods among Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. According to the article Mexico mega-port plan key to ‘NAFTA superhighways’ controversy is brewing as Americans wonder if a highway and rail project carrying products to Mexico to the U.S. and to Canada on the NAFTA superhighways is such good idea.
In short, Mexico is questioning a mega-port in Punta Colonet, in which Chinese goods would be shipped on the NAFTA rails and superhighways. This port would be the major place on the west coast to ship Asian goods to America. Right now the ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach are being over used. A man named Gabriel Chavez; says the Punta Colonet port may contain huge amounts of titanium and iron which could be mined off the shore. The Mexican government has put all plans on hold until there is further research.
One key issue has to deal with bringing goods into the Mexican port. It means lower costs for us in the U.S. with cheaper labor and environmental regulations for Mexico because policies are not as strict. Again is this another way for the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer? As of now the U.S. permits Mexican truckers entry into the U.S. that extends 20 miles from the border. The Teamsters Union feels Mexican trucks pose safety and environmental risk, but Mexico has limited U.S. truckers as well.
Do you feel the U.S. Department of Transportation should fully open borders to Mexican truckers and put foreign trade and cheap labor above everything else to integrate the 3 North American Nations? Do you feel highway safety, Homeland Security, border policies, and immigration concerns are too risky to fully implement NAFTA as intended in 1994?

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52242

posted by Anonymous @ 10/08/2006 02:29:00 PM