Mexico’s Free Trade Agreements

[Excerpt] Mexico has had a growing commitment to trade integration through the formation of free trade agreements (FTAs) since the 1990s and its trade policy is among the most open in the world. Mexico\u27s pursuit of FTAs with other countries not only provides economic benefits, but could also potentially reduce its economic dependence on the United States. The United States is, by far, Mexico\u27s most significant trading partner. About 80% of Mexico\u27s exports go to the United States and 49% of Mexico\u27s imports come from the United States. Mexico\u27s second largest trading partner is China, accounting for approximately 6% of Mexico\u27s exports and imports. In an effort to increase trade with other countries, Mexico has a total of 11 trade agreements involving 41 countries. These include agreements with most countries in the Western Hemisphere including the United States and Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. In addition, Mexico has negotiated FTAs outside of the Western Hemisphere and entered into agreements with Israel and the European Union in July 2000. Mexico also has an FTA with Japan. The large number of trade agreements, however, has not yet been successful in decreasing Mexico\u27s dependence on trade with the United States. Economic motivations are generally the major driving force for the formation of free trade agreements among countries, but there are other reasons countries enter into FTAs, including political and security factors. One of Mexico\u27s primary motivations for the unilateral trade liberalization efforts of the late 1980s and early 1990s was to improve economic conditions in the country, which policymakers hoped would lead to greater investor confidence and attract more foreign investment. Trade agreements were also expected to improve investor confidence, attract foreign investment, and create jobs. Mexico may have other reasons for entering into FTAs, such as expanding market access and decreasing its reliance on the United States as an export market. The slow progress in multilateral negotiations may also contribute to the increasing interest throughout the world in regional trade blocs. Some countries may see smaller trade arrangements as building blocks for multilateral agreements. Since Mexico began trade liberalization in the early 1990s, its trade with the world has risen rapidly, with exports increasing more rapidly than imports. Mexico\u27s trade balance with all countries went from a deficit of $13.5 billion in 1993 to surpluses of$7.1 billion in 1995 and $6.5 billion in 1996. Since 1998, Mexico\u27s trade balance has remained in deficit, reaching$17.5 billion in 2008. The trade balance with the United States went from a deficit of $2.4 billion in 1993 to a surplus of$82.0 billion in 2008. Exports to the United States increased 447% between 1993 and 2008, from $42.9 billion to$292.6 billion. Mexico\u27s imports from the United States increased 237% during the same time period, from $45.3 billion to$152.6 billion. In the 110th Congress, issues of concern related to the trade and economic relationship with Mexico involved mostly economic conditions in Mexico, issues related to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the effect of NAFTA on Mexico, and Mexican migrant workers in the United States. The 111th Congress will likely maintain an active interest concerning Mexico on these issues. This report provides an overview of Mexico\u27s free trade agreements, its motivations for trade liberalization and entering into free trade agreements, and some of the issues Mexico faces in addressing its economic challenges. This report will be updated as events warrant

A Comparison of the Pac-X Trans-Pacific Wave Glider Data and Satellite Data (MODIS, Aquarius, TRMM and VIIRS)

Tracy A. Villareal, Marine Science Institute and Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas, United States of AmericaCara Wilson, Environmental Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Pacific Grove, California, United States of AmericaFour wave-propelled autonomous vehicles (Wave Gliders) instrumented with a variety of oceanographic and meteorological sensors were launched from San Francisco, CA in November 2011 for a trans-Pacific (Pac-X) voyage to test platform endurance. Two arrived in Australia, one in Dec 2012 and one in February 2013, while the two destined for Japan both ran into technical difficulties and did not arrive at their destination. The gliders were all equipped with sensors to measure temperature, salinity, turbidity, oxygen, and both chlorophyll and oil fluorescence. Here we conduct an initial assessment of the data set, noting necessary quality control steps and instrument utility. We conduct a validation of the Pac-X dataset by comparing the glider data to equivalent, or near-equivalent, satellite measurements. Sea surface temperature and salinity compared well to satellite measurements. Chl fluorescence from the gliders was more poorly correlated, with substantial between glider variability. Both turbidity and oil CDOM sensors were compromised to some degree by interfering processes. The well-known diel cycle in chlorophyll fluorescence was observed suggesting that mapping physiological data over large scales is possible. The gliders captured the Pacific Ocean’s major oceanographic features including the increased chlorophyll biomass of the California Current and equatorial upwelling. A comparison of satellite sea surface salinity (Aquarius) and glider-measured salinity revealed thin low salinity lenses in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. One glider survived a direct passage through a tropical cyclone. Two gliders traversed an open ocean phytoplankton bloom; extensive spiking in the chlorophyll fluorescence data is consistent with aggregation and highlights another potential future use for the gliders. On long missions, redundant instrumentation would aid in interpreting unusual data streams, as well as a means to periodically image the sensor heads. Instrument placement is critical to minimize bubble-related problems in the data.The authors have no support or funding to report.Marine ScienceEmail: [email protected]

A Red Tide Monitoring Program for Texas Coastal Waters

This is the final report for the red tide monitoring project conducted at The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and covers the period from 1 Nov. 1998 to 10 April 2000. The study was designed to examine the seasonal dynamics of the toxic red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (Davis) G. Hansen and Moestrup at 5 locations off the Texas coast. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) utilizing bimonthly finfish surveys (Coastal Fisheries Division) to collect samples. The samples were shipped to UTMSI for chl a, nutrient, and cell count analyses. Significant interannual variability occurred in the temperature and salinity fields. Temperature was lowest in Jan.-Feb. of each year and increased. In general, the 5 stations showed little concordance with each other. There was no annual pattern in nutrient distributions. Individual stations appeared to reflect local inputs, rather than coast wide events. The only exception was a generalized silicate increase noted in Feb-April 2001 at all stations except Brazos Santiago near Brownsville. Karenia brevis was observed sporadically along the coast during the winter and most observations were limited to the summer/fall months. The sporadic occurrences and numerous "no cells" observations do not support the hypothesis that a year round resident red tide population exists in the Texas coastal zone. It appears that are transported into the area by large scale oceanographic features. The mechanism for this remains unknown. A minor red tide occurred along South Padre Island in Oct./Nov 1999. The bloom advected south into Mexico, and no further fish kills were noted in 1999. However, K. brevis occurred sporadically along the coast during this time. These events suggest that K. brevis may be seeded into the area from further offshore regularly at very low levels. Until fish-killing populations develop, it likely remains undetected. One major red tide event occurred during 2000 that affected the entire Texas coast. A small red tide occurred along South Padre Island in July, 2000 but disappeared after moving north to Padre Island National Seashore. Fish-killing concentrations of K. brevis were first detected in mid August off Sabine Pass in the north and moved south along the coast over the following months. However, low level occurrences of K. brevis were found at intermediate stations well before the main red tide advected into the region, and were nearly coincident with the initial observations off Sabine Pass. It is impossible from this data to determine if the July bloom in south Texas was related to the events off Sabine, but there is a possibility that offshore continental shelf currents may well be transporting cells north from Mexico into northern Texas waters. Another toxic species closely related to K. brevis has been seen at reasonably high abundance. This species, Karenia mikimotoi, is toxic to fish and has been reported to co-occur with K. brevis in blooms. Maximum abundance of this species was 6000 cells L-1, and appeared to exhibit a distinct increase and decline in population levels at 3 different stations.Marine Scienc

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

[Excerpt] The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been in effect since January 1, 1994. NAFTA was signed by President George H. W. Bush on December 17, 1992, and approved by Congress on November 20, 1993. The NAFTA Implementation Act was signed into law by President William J. Clinton on December 8, 1993 (P.L. 103-182). NAFTA continues to be of interest to Congress because of the importance of Canada and Mexico as trading partners, and because of the implications NAFTA has for U.S. trade policy under the Administration of President Donald J. Trump. During his election campaign, President Trump stated his desire to renegotiate NAFTA and that he would examine the ramifications of withdrawing from the agreement once he entered into office. He has also raised the possibility of imposing tariffs or a border tax on products from Mexico. This report provides an overview of North American market-opening provisions prior to NAFTA, provisions of the agreement, economic effects, and policy considerations

Trade Preferences: Economic Issues and Policy Options

[Excerpt] Since 1974, Congress has created multiple trade preference programs designed to foster economic growth, reform, and development in less developed countries. These programs give temporary, non-reciprocal, duty-free U.S. market access to select exports of eligible countries. Congress conducts regular oversight of these programs, repeatedly revising and extending them. Two major issues face the 111th Congress: (1) the expiration of two preference programs by December 31, 2010; and (2) possible legislative action on broader reform of the preference programs based on comprehensive reviews in hearings held in both the House and the Senate earlier in this Congress. This report discusses the major U.S. trade preference programs, their possible economic effects, stakeholder interests, and legislative options

Mater In Progress…: nuevos materiales, nueva industria

Exposició: Mater In Progress… nuevos materiales,nueva industria, 8 febrero- 28 de abril 2008, Sala de exposiciones del FAD.Peer Reviewe

NAFTA Renegotiation and Modernization

The 115th Congress faces policy issues related to the Trump Administration’s renegotiation and modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA negotiations were first launched in 1992 under President H. W. Bush, who signed the agreement in December 1992, and continued under President Bill Clinton, who negotiated additional side agreements on labor and the environment. President Clinton signed the agreement into law on December 8 1993, (P.L. 103-182) and NAFTA entered into force on January 1, 1994. It is particularly significant because it was the most comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated at the time, contained several groundbreaking provisions, and was the first of a new generation of U.S. FTAs later negotiated. Congress played a major role during its consideration and, after contentious and comprehensive debate, ultimately approved legislation to implement the agreement. NAFTA established trade liberalization commitments that set new rules and disciplines for future FTAs on issues important to the United States, including intellectual property rights protection, services trade, dispute settlement procedures, investment, labor, and the environment. NAFTA’s market-opening provisions gradually eliminated nearly all tariff and most nontariff barriers on goods produced and traded within North America. At the time of NAFTA, average applied U.S. duties on imports from Mexico were 2.07%, while U.S. businesses faced average tariffs of 10%, in addition to nontariff and investment barriers, in Mexico. The U.S.-Canada FTA had been in effect since 1989. Trade among NAFTA partners has tripled since the agreement entered into force, forming a more integrated North American market. The Trump Administration has made NAFTA renegotiation and modernization a prominent initial priority of its trade policy. President Trump has viewed the agreement as the “worst trade deal,” and has stated that he may seek to withdraw from the agreement. He has focused on the trade deficit with Mexico as a major reason for his critique. On May 18, 2017, the Trump Administration sent a 90-day notification to Congress of its intent to begin talks to renegotiate NAFTA, as required by the 2015 Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) (P.L. 114-26). Negotiations started August 16, 2017. Stating they are committed to an expeditious process, negotiators plan to have a series of seven rounds at three-week intervals for a conclusion by the end of 2017 or early 2018. The fourth round of negotiations began at the time this report was printed. The final text of the agreement will not be released until after negotiations are concluded. NAFTA parties have agreed that the information exchanged in the context of the negotiations, such as the negotiating text, proposals of each government, and other materials related to the substance of the negotiations, must remain confidential. Congress will likely continue to be a major participant in shaping and potentially considering an updated NAFTA. Key issues for Congress in regard to the renegotiation or modernization include the constitutional authority of Congress over international trade, its role in revising or withdrawing from the agreement, the U.S. negotiating objectives, the impact on U.S. industries and the U.S. economy, the negotiating objectives of Canada and Mexico, and the impact on broader relations with Canada and Mexico. The outcome of these negotiations will have implications for the future direction of U.S. trade policy under President Trump. NAFTA renegotiation may provide opportunities to address issues not covered in the original text. Technology and industrial production processes have changed significantly since it was negotiated. The widespread use of the Internet has affected economic activities and the use of e-commerce, for example. A modernization could incorporate elements of more recent U.S. FTAs, such as digital and services trade and enhanced IPR protection. Many U.S. manufacturers, services providers, and agricultural producers oppose efforts to eliminate NAFTA and ask that the Trump Administration strive to “do no harm” in the negotiations because they have much to lose if the United States pulls out of the agreement. Other groups contend that NAFTA should be rewritten to include stronger and more enforceable labor protections, provisions on currency manipulation, and stricter rules of origin

Análisis de las propuestas y problemáticas que plantean los lineamientos curriculares de matemáticas en Colombia

El documento presenta un análisis de los lineamientos curriculares de matemáticas a la luz de los fundamentos teóricos que los sustentan para, de esta manera, mostrarlos como una alternativa válida de desarrollo del área

NAFTA at 20: Overview and Trade Effects

[Excerpt] The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been in effect since January 1, 1994. Signed by President George H.W. Bush on December 17, 1992, and approved by Congress on November 20, 1993, the NAFTA Implementation Act was signed into law by President William J. Clinton on December 8, 1993 (P.L. 103-182). NAFTA continues to be of interest to Congress because of the importance of Canada and Mexico as U.S. trading partners, and also because of the implications NAFTA has for U.S. trade policy. This report provides an overview of North American trade liberalization before NAFTA, an overview of NAFTA provisions, the economic effects of NAFTA, and policy considerations

Tax Competition in the Film Industry

Being one of the largest industries in the world, the film industry remains an economic powerhouse in our society. It’s for this reason that film’s messages are not the only political aspects of their creation. Senators and representatives across the country are increasingly seeing the film industry as key towards economic development. With incentive packages being placed around the country, the politics over the film industry have become an overwhelming power game. Politicians are being threatened with recalls and impeachment to keep their economies afloat during harsh economic times. Without raising taxes, representatives have hit a wall. Increasing debt and job shortages, in our current economy, are leading politicians to the West for economic growth. Whether film is considered a piece of art or a commercial product, state and local governments are looking West with Hollywood as the possible answer