NAFTA: An overview

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed into being by the presidents of the United States of America and Mexico, and the Prime Minister of Canada in late 1993. The agreement went into effect on January 1, 1994. The purpose of NAFTA is to promote and expand the economies of the three countries by eliminating tariffs between them. This paper is an overview of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Topics discussed include the objectives of the agreement, the regulatory requirements of the agreement - such as the definition of ''originating goods'', qualification for NAFTA preferential tariff treatment, certificates of origin and administrative responsibilities of the parties involved. Also included in this work, will be a comment on what the future might hold beyond NAFTA.