Nafta's unhappy anniversary

[CHIMO]

In Mexico, the fifteenth birthday is a special time, an ornate coming of age celebration – the quinceañera – complete with dancing and piñatas. On January 1, the North American Free Trade Agreement turns 15, but it does not seem like anyone in Mexico is going to throw any parties for the groundbreaking trade agreement.

Celebrations in Washington are likely to be muted as well. President-elect Barack Obama swept to victory on a platform critical of Nafta and similar trade agreements, and he will have a Congress that has continued to shift away from such free-trade policies.

Obama also promised to take a "time-out" on trade agreements while a thorough review of US trade policy is carried out. He should make good on that promise. And unlike the campaign, which focused exclusively on how these agreements have brought limited benefits for people in the US, the review should take a hard look at Mexico's experience as well. It is not a pretty picture.

In Washington, many people almost take it for granted that Mexico was the big winner from Nafta. After all, the Mexican government got exactly what it wanted from the agreement: exports to the US increased sevenfold, much of it in manufacturing, and foreign direct investment jumped to four times pre-Nafta levels. With inflation down and productivity up, the Mexican economy was ready for takeoff.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jan/01/nafta-anniversary-us-mexico-trade

Guess we aren't in NAFTA. We aren't in the FTA anymore. There is no auto pact.

So what are our objectives?