LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LE ROI! On NAFTA and USMCA

The present paper is an essay that presents the author’ brief contribution to the discussion on the North American trade agreement, formerly known as NAFTA. It is written from an independent perspective and involves no political affiliation. NAFTA, which during its almost 25 years of existence, proved a successful mechanism of trade growth, came under attack by President Trump who judged it detrimental to the U.S. economy and threatened to dismantle it altogether. He subsequently retreated from his initial position and let NAFTA, now known as USMCA or the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, survive the crisis with some lesser changes. However, the recent loss of the Conservative majority in the lower chamber of Congress, may render the President's position with respect to economic policies more vulnerable in view of the majority for the Democrats. The new situation in the Congress may have a direct impact on USMCA as well. At the completion of the 20-odd-year period of its existence the North American Free Trade |Agreement (NAFTA) had to be renegotiated, especially amidst President Trump’s repeated vows to dismantle it on the grounds of its detrimental impact on the American economy. The present paper is looking at this renegotiating process. It is describing its most salient points, including a concise description of what is going to change and what will remain as before. It points out to the advantages and disadvantages of what is now referred to as NAFTA 2.0 or USMECA (The US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement).

Z chwilą wygaśnięcia ponad 20-letniego okresu obowiązywania porozumienia NAFTA zaistniała konieczność renegocjacji jego postanowień, szczególnie w świetle powtarzanych wielokrotnie gróźb Prezydenta Donalda Trumpa unieważnienia go jako układu szkodzącego interesom amerykańskiej gospodarki. Niniejszy artykuł zwięźle charakteryzuje proces renegocjacji, wskazując na najbardziej istotne elementy porozumienia, z uwzględnieniem najważniejszych zmian jakie wprowadza NAFTA 2.0, nazywana również porozumieniem handlowym USA, Meksyku i Kanady. Prezentowany artykuł przedstawiony w formie eseju, odzwierciedla wyłącznie osobiste opinie autora.