Coming Together? Mexico-U.S. Relations

by Bosworth, Barry P.; Collins, Susan M.; Lustig, Nora Claudia

• ISBN13: 9780815710271
• ISBN10: 0815710275
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-05-01
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Summary

The signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was expected to signal the beginning of a new era of close co-operation between Mexico and the United States. Subsequent events, however, have introduced new tensions into the relationship. The 1995 economic collapse in Mexico sharply curtailed economic growth and lowered the demand for U.S. exports. The result has been a substantial deficit in U.S. trade with Mexico and renewed arguments that trade with Mexico reduces the employment opportunities of low-skilled workers in the United States. Immigration, both legal and illegal, has grown as a subject of contention between the two countries. Mexico has also come under increased focus as a conduit for the flow of drugs into the United States. In this book, scholars from the United States and Mexico examine the major elements of the bilateral relationship. The economic dimension is highlighted in two papers that focus on the effects of NAFTA on trade and financial transactions. The political and social dimensions are taken up in three papers on immigration, drug trafficking, and environmental concerns. The contributors include J. Enrique Espinosa and Pedro Noyola, SAI Consultores, Mexico; John Williamson, Institute for International Economics; Juan Carlos Belausteguigoitia, Ministry of the Environment, Mexico; Peter Smith, University of California, San Diego; and George Borjas, Harvard University.

Table of Contents

The Brookings Institution	p. v
Foreword	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Summary of the Chapters	p. 9
References	p. 24
Emerging Patterns in Mexico-U.S. Trade	p. 25
Appendix to Chapter 2 Nafta: Main Features	p. 51
References	p. 58
Conclusions	p. 76
References	p. 88
United States-Mexico Relations: Environmental Issues	p. 91
The International Border and Water Commissions (Ibwc and Cila)	p. 107
Border Environmental Cooperation Agreement (La Paz Agreement)	p. 108
Integrated Border Environmental Plan (Ibep) and Border XXI	p. 111
Integrated Border Environmental Plan (Ibep) and Border XXI	p. 112
Integrated Border Environmental Plan (Ibep) and Border XXI	p. 113
Integrated Border Environmental Plan (Ibep) and Border XXI	p. 116
References	p. 123
Drug Trafficking in Mexico	p. 125
References	p. 153
The Economic Impact of Mexican Immigration	p. 155
Summary	p. 170
References	p. 184
Index	p. 187
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