Readers Respond: Has NAFTA Helped or Hurt the U.S. Economy?

Responses: 74

By Kimberly Amadeo, About.com Guide

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Now you know where all our jobs went now you stupid politicians; they went oversees to get low income people that don't have anything. and the products are terrible they are not worth bringing home. For instance I bought a vacuum cleaner from Eureka and it was made from Mexico it is a piece of ????!! If its not made in America then I won't be buying anymore I'll just keep my money. the Continental General Tire of Mayfield, Ky, & Goodyear Tire & Rubber Companyof Union City, Tenn. closed it's doors leaving lot of people out of work who ever started the NAFTA if not worth to talk about them. This country is in such trouble with jobs and people losing their homes and living in boxes on the street I hope the ones that started this Nafta is real proud of themselves to see our country in such a shape it is in now.
—madcj

HOW DOES NAFTA REALLY HELP. LOST JOBS, LOST TAX REVENUE, AND DETERIATI0N OF THE U.S. GREAT PROGRAM. THE RICH GET RICHER AND EVERYBODY ELSE GETS SCREWED. HOW MUCH LOST TAX REVENUE 5 TRILLION A YEAR AT LEAST. TAKE A SURVEY NONE I KNOW WANTS NAFTA.
—Guest HURT

Circulation and Distribution with the unknowns will never provide us the links to create a much needed WHOLE reach. All economies require this and do connect...Top down opinions become meaningless! Bottom up holds the volumes.
—Guest ?

that is true the only thing they never figured on was the people who they need to buy the cheap goods would not even be able to buy them since they have no money either, and as far as the Chinese they are an export only country they will have to raise the people's pay if they want them to become consumers of the crap they produce, and if you raise their pay they will find somewhere more desperate to produce the goods and China falls like we did. the problem is not the people it's the damn GREED
—Guest billboe

I have read many of these responses blaming Mexico and Canada and the Unions for this Countries mess. Let's not completly blame the Unions for U.S. Companies moving to other countries. Unions worked to get employees of companies good working condtions, Health/retirement benefits & reasonable pay that workers would not otherwise had. Would you want to work for $2.00 a day, no health benefits, and no retirement? China will. That brings us to the second part. Why do you think China's economy is thriving? Maybe it is because thier lessor educated people are not so proud or lazy that they refuse to work in a factory for $2.00 a day wage and no additional benefits. Why? No Unions! A good majority of American companies that moved to China and other countries benefit from producing a product at little cost, making much larger profits, no import fees, and excess $ to line the CEO's pockets with Millions each year. Would profits be as great if wages/benefits, and paid import fees to U.S.?
—Guest Work2turn it around

See "statement I made in 1999 below" I never cared for Donald Trump until I listened to him this morning (4-07-11) on the Today Show. Everything he said about the USA and what's happening today has come true and it started with NAFTA. I strongly suggest you pull up on your computer the Today Show and listen. I would vote for him IF he runs for president. Maybe America has a chance to convert to the "old ways" and be Number One again.
—Guest Ellie

I was waiting for my mother in the lobby of her senior citizen home and a veteran in a wheel chair was sitting there. I started talking with him on with different subjects. I remember saying to him "before too many years the United States will end up being a third world nation. The Vet says "young lady, you have a smart head on your shoulders. At the time I didn't really think it would be this bad.
—Guest Ellie

In my hometown today, the final furniture factory closed its doors and 554 people lost their jobs and their way of life. It is a sad day knowing that family and friends are heart broken and hurting financially and they are left without any health insurance. How are the American people supposed to live when all our jobs are going out of our country. Exactly, who is going to be left to buy the products when we the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA people have no income because we are jobless. The President needs to quit worrying about other countries and worry about his own or at least the one he is supposed to be worrying about. Oh, by the way, it is the USA that you should be concerned about.
—Guest Kim N.

The Horse is out of the Barn and the Barn is on Fire! The Horse will never be back and there is no place for it anymore anyway! Thanks, All you Dipstick Presidents!
—Guest Deadbeat

I don't know what NAFTA was about, but all I can say is that it's all in the past. So, I suggest if you want to mess with it, don't talk to anyone but the GOV. Thank you.
—Guest Crimson

All NAFTA did was to allow US companies to move their operations to Mexico for lower wages and no tariffs It had nothing to do with free trade
—Guest jeff

NAFTA is all about greed. What nobody seems to get is that it is putting the largest consumers out of work. Who will they sell to? The guy in China getting $2.00 a day? It is too late to fix. We are all screwed even you rich guys.
—Guest why

I find it pathetically funny that anyone would think that NAFTA ad a "positive" effect on American Workers when this was a SPONSORED LINK on the same page as this Article.. "Sponsored Links Manufacture in Mexico. Ensure Your Competitive Advantage. We facilitate successful expansion. www.co-production.net" Anybody else wanna try and say how great this was for the US? This allowed not only foreign outsourcing but has and IS suppressing wages across the labor market in the US. It allowed the executive class to grow wealthier and the working class to share equal finances and incomes as their Mexican and Canadian counter parts. WE GOT SCREWED AMERICA!
—Guest Krankz

The company I worked for for 20 years always prided itself on quality American made furniture. In the end They sold out. They brought in a bunch of million dollar consultants to sugar coat the bad news. They took away all of our retirement plans and jobs and gave theirselves a hefty raise. We got the boot and they made us pay for it. All because of Nafta. Nafta is no good
—Guest UNLUCKY

NAFTA and trade liberalization in general is a necesity for the U.S. and a push away from free trade by the U.S. will impose significant economic costs to the U.S. and the rest of the world. U.S. exporters are suffering due to the U.S. failing to ratify additonal free trade agreements and the results are losses of tens of billions of dollars to U.S companies. The majority of the posts on here are claiming a direct relationship between job loss and free trade. There is very little evidence that a relationship exists between increased imports and any change in total employment. Over the past 20 years, U.S. net employment increased by over 36 million jobs. Statistics actually show that employment tends to rise along with an increase of imports. I am not saying that trade does not hurt individual groups of workers and specific industries but the country as a whole is better off. In closing, unskilled jobs will continue to leave the U.S. but skilled jobs and wages will increase.
—Guest Jon

Kimberly Amadeo
US Economy Guide