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  NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)  

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New report charts NAFTA environmental record - In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on 17 December 1992, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released today a report detailing some of the effects of NAFTA on the environment. (North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 15 Dec. 2002)

Official NAFTA websites:

NAFTA Secretariat website {···français···español}

Commission for Labor Cooperation / North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation website {···français···español}

North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation website {···français···español}

Other websites:

Groupe de recherche sur l'intégration continentale (Centre Études internationales et Mondialisation Université du Québec à Montréal) {···français}

NAFTA (Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch)

NAFTA Chapter 11 Lawsuits (Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch)

Publications List: NAFTA (Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch)

Other materials:

2002:

New report charts NAFTA environmental record - In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on 17 December 1992, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) released today a report detailing some of the effects of NAFTA on the environment. (North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 15 Dec. 2002)

Methanex to file new NAFTA case on Calif MTBE ban (Allan Dowd, Reuters, 23 Oct. 2002)

Latest twists and turns on Autotrim/Customtrim NAFTA case - Workers at the Autotrim and Customtrin/Breed Mexicana plants in Mexico who filed a workplace health and safety complaint under the NAFTA "labor side agreement" have blasted attempts by the Mexican and U.S. governments to close out their complaint with the appointment of a government-to-government committee to discuss for the next three years why occupational health laws are not enforced in Mexico. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 8 Aug. 2002)

NAFTA panel says cannot rule on Methanex MTBE case [Canada/USA] - The case has been closely watched by green and civil rights groups who worried that Methanex's case - filed under NAFTA's Chapter 11 investor protection rules - was an example of how private companies can use the agreement to undermine government efforts to protect the environment. (Allan Dowd, Reuters, 8 Aug. 2002) 

Power deregulation fueled pollution - NAFTA agency - North American power companies, the continent's biggest polluters, slashed spending on energy efficiency programs by 42 percent between 1995 and 1999, in part because of the deregulation of electricity markets, an environmental watchdog [Commission for Environmental Cooperation...created under the North American Free Trade Agreement] said this week...That added to air pollution in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which hurts both the environment and human health, the agency said (Robert Melnbardis, Reuters, 19 June 2002)

CEC presents environmental profile of North American electricity market [USA, Mexico, Canada] - A new report by the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) examines the environmental impacts of a growing, continental electricity market. An expert advisory board drawn from Canada, Mexico, and the United States guided the report (North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 17 June 2002)

US lawmakers want Mexico power plants to cut pollution - U.S. legislation would block Mexican power plants located near the California border from using natural gas from the United States as fuel unless the facilities complied with the state's clean air laws. (Tom Doggett, Reuters, 7 June 2002) 

Canada - US industrial water waste rising - study - Industrial pollution dumped into U.S. and Canadian lakes, rivers and streams rose 26 percent from 1995 to 1999, overshadowing an almost equal reduction in toxic air emissions, an environmental watchdog agency [North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a Montreal-based agency created under the North American Free Trade Agreement] said yesterday. (Robert Melnbardis, Reuters, 30 May 2002)

Sempra: Exporting Pollution - U.S.-Mexico Border Region to Pay the Price for California's Power - If San Diego-based Sempra Energy had decided to build its new natural gas-fired power plant in southern California, state and local authorities would have required the company to comply with stringent air quality regulations. Company officials would also have had to complete detailed environmental impact statements. So Sempra decided to build the plant just over the border in Mexico instead. (J.P. Ross, Greenpeace, Special to CorpWatch, 27 May 2002)

Mexican [indigenous] groups appeal to NAFTA environmental commission to force action against genetic contamination (Greenpeace, 23 Apr. 2002)

Customtrim/Autotrim workers build campaign to demand action by US Department of Labor - Supporters of the workers at Breed Technologies’ Mexican auto parts plants – Autotrim in Matamoros and Customtrim/Breed Mexicana in Valle Hermoso – are ratcheting up a campaign demanding that the U.S. Labor Department move their workplace health and safety complaint under the NAFTA to the next level of review within the "labor side agreement" complaint resolution process. (Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network Newsletter, 31 Mar. 2002)

Toxic Trade? A Canadian chemical firm says California's pollution controls violate NAFTA rules...In Santa Monica...the groundwater is poisoned... a pollutant has leaked from the underground tanks of gasoline stations. The culprit: methyl tertiary butyl ether...As lawsuits against 18 oil companies drag on, California has ordered a phaseout of the chemical, and a dozen other states have followed suit...METHANEX, the Canadian company that makes a key ingredient of MTBE, is challenging California's ban under the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. (Margot Roosevelt, Time Magazine, 25 Mar. 2002)

Piles of poisons: Despite NAFTA's green promises, hazardous waste problems are deepening in Mexico; Sustaining Livelihoods (Jennifer Clapp, Alternatives Journal, 22 Mar. 2002)

Is the United States a Pollution Haven?...The question arises from a look at agriculture under NAFTA, particularly the trade in corn...Corn production is moving from Mexico, where it was more sustainable, to the United States, where it involves serious environmental impacts. (Frank Ackerman, Americas Program, 1 Mar. 2002)

NAFTA’s Chapter 11 threatens the environment and democracy:...Chapter 11, a clause so important Dan Seligman, director of the Sierra Club's Trade Program, argues that it may lead to a "fundamentally different world in the degree of power corporations hold on democratic governments." (Justin Gerdes, Environmental News Network, 22 Feb. 2002)

TRADE: Environmentalists Urge Pesticide Fight: Environmentalists are urging the Canadian government to fight a lawsuit filed against it by a major U.S. chemical company [Crompton Corporation] under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 29 Jan. 2002)

Ecosystem Crisis Looms over North America [Canada, Mexico, USA]: North America's natural environments face a "widespread crisis" due to vanishing biodiversity, says a new report by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation [report required by NAFTA]. (Environment News Service, 9 Jan. 2002)

Documentary exposing how NAFTA's Chapter 11 has become private justice for foreign companies - Bill Moyers Reports: Trading Democracy Reveals How An Obscure Provision Hidden In NAFTA Can Cost Taxpayers Millions Of Dollars When Multinational Corporations Sue The Government Over Environmental And Health Laws That Threaten Their Profits (Global Exchange, 7 Jan. 2002)

2001:

New Study Analyzes Seven Years of Corporate Investor Challenges to Democratic Governance and State Sovereignty Under NAFTA: Challenge of California MTBE Ban Shows How NAFTA Grants Foreign Corporations Greater Rights Than Local Communities and Businesses - In what is becoming a growing threat to democratic governance and state sovereignty, corporations are using new rights and privileges granted under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to challenge a variety of national, state and local policies and decisions, a new report has found. (Earthjustice, Global Trade Watch and Public Citizen, 4 Sep. 2001)

We must put people before profits:...the exploitation and atrocities that visited this nation a century are now getting a new life a continent away, fueled by unregulated globalization. (John J. Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, in The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2001)

Mexico's Cytrar Hazardous Waste Dump Focus of Probe: The environmental agency that operates as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is seeking more information about the establishment and operation of the Cytrar hazardous waste landfill near the city of Hermosillo, in the state of Sonora, Mexico. (Environment News Service, 9 Aug. 2001)

Nafta deal changed to curb companies: Trade ministers from the US, Canada and Mexico on Tuesday agreed changes to a controversial provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement that allows companies to sue the governments for wrongful expropriation. The provision, known as Chapter 11, has angered Nafta critics, who charge that the treaty gave corporations unprecedented powers to challenge national regulations. (Edward Alden, Financial Times, 1 Aug. 2001)

NAFTA Panel Examines Air Pollution: Electricity plant emissions and waste made up the largest portion of industrial pollution in Canada and the United States in 1998, according to a report issued Friday. (Associated Press, in Las Vegas Sun, 20 July 2001)

The Global Alternative [What are the elements of a transnational New Deal, and how do we bring one about? The emerging global social-democratic alternative involves a "grand bargain" between the two wings of the opposition: The developed world would get protection for its social standards, and the developing world would receive the flexibility and capital investment it needs for growth.] (Jeff Faux, American Prospect, 2-16 July 2001)

Localizing Globalization [NAFTA undercut state regulation. But as NAFTA targets the entire hemisphere (with the proposed FTAA), states are fighting back.] (Chris Mooney, American Prospect, 2-16 July 2001)

Mexico pushes industry to register toxic emissions (Reuters, 2 July 2001) 

Free Trade and Sweatshops: Is global trade doing more harm than good? - Perhaps the fundamental question about globalization is whether it helps or hurts workers, particularly in developing countries. Insight asked Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange and David Henderson of the Hoover Institution to engage in an e-mail debate. (San Francisco Chronicle, 24 June 2001)

NAFTA agency ripped for not taking action on Tijuana toxic site (Joe Cantlupe, Copley News Service [USA], 16 June 2001)

Pollution dogs NAFTA: The rapid growth of factories and industrial production near the U.S. border in Mexico, with little regard for pollution controls and infrastructure needs, has created a heavily contaminated region, say some analysts. (Joe Grossman, UPI, 13 June 2001)

Companies Using NAFTA to Undermine Legitimate Regulations (Mark Thomsen, SocialFunds.com, 12 June 2001)

Custom Trim Workers Vindicated: But will they be compensated?  On April 6, two weeks before heads of state gathered in Quebec City to discuss the extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the rest of the hemisphere, the US National Administrative Office (NAO) released a report documenting the failure of the NAFTA labour side agreement to ensure enforcement of even existing labour legislation. The NAO report confirms allegations of workers at two formerly Canadian-owned maquila autoparts factories in Matamoros and Valle Hermoso, Mexico of exposure to dangerous chemicals and other workplace hazards. It also documents the failure of Mexican government agencies to enforce their own health and safety regulations. (Maquila Solidarity Network, June 2001)

NAFTA: the good, bad and ugly (Jeff Heinrich, Montreal Gazette, 19 Apr. 2001)

Comment: Cut the blah blah blah [NAFTA/free trade/poverty] (Naomi Klein, Guardian [UK], 19 Apr. 2001)

NAFTA falling short on worker rights [referring to Human Rights Watch report] (Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, 16 Apr. 2001)

Trading Away Rights: The Unfulfilled Promise of NAFTA's Labor Side Agreement (report, Human Rights Watch, 16 Apr. 2001)

NAFTA Labor Accord Ineffective: Future Trade Pacts Must Avoid Pitfalls (press release, Human Rights Watch, 16 Apr. 2001)

Public Report of Review of NAO Submission No. 2000-01 [Custom Trim case, Mexico]: Submission 2000-01 raises concerns about occupational safety and health and compensation in cases of occupational injuries and illnesses at Auto Trim of Mexico in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and at Custom Trim/Breed Mexicana in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas.  The failure of the Government of Mexico to communicate to the workers about its efforts undertaken in response to the 1998 petition, the lack of records on the 1999 petitions, and the failure to respond to workers’ inquiries about the petitions are inconsistent with the Government of Mexico’s obligations under the NAALC [North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation], which obligate the government to require record keeping; to give due consideration to any request for an investigation of suspected violations of labor law; to ensure that persons have appropriate access to administrative proceedings for the enforcement of labor law; to ensure that proceedings are transparent; to provide for procedural guarantees in those proceedings; and to promote public awareness of labor law. (U.S. National Administrative Office, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, 6 April 2001)

NAFTA's Investor "Rights" A Corporate Dream, A Citizen Nightmare (Mary Bottari, Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2001)

The Chapter 1 Dossier: Corporations Exercise Their Investor "Rights" (Michelle Swenarchuk, Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2001)

Chile's Democratic Challenge: An Interview with Sara Larrain [Executive Director of Sustainable Chile Program] (Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2001)

Canadians Sue Over NAFTA Bias Clause: Activists, labor leaders claim pact's Chapter 11 favors private firms at the expense of citizens (Evelyn Iritani, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2001)

NAFTA's Powerful Little Secret (Anthony DePalma, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2001)

Fighting free trade laws (Naomi Klein, Guardian [UK], 1 Mar. 2001)

A Human Rights Framework for Trade in the Americas (Diana Bronson and Lucie Lamarche, Rights & Democracy, International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Mar. 2001)

NAFTA Arbitration Panel Makes Precedent Setting Ruling In Favour of Canadian NGO: Decision favours IISD intervention in upcoming Methanex Chapter 11 hearing (International Institute for Sustainable Development [IISD], 19 Jan. 2001)

Coalition Seeks Judicial Review of Latest NAFTA Ruling (Canadian Alliance on Trade and Environment, 16 Jan. 2001)

NAFTA at 7 (Sarah Anderson, Institute for Policy Studies, Jan. 2001)

2000:

Groups condemn latest blow to environmental protection at the hands of NAFTA (Sierra Club of Canada, 21 Nov. 2000)

Double Standards: U.S. Manufacturers Exploit Lax Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement in Mexico's Maquiladoras: An interview with Garrett Brown (Multinational Monitor, Nov. 2000)

Environment groups organise against NAFTA rules (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 8 Sep. 2000)

NAFTA Environmental Issues (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, July 2000)

Commentary: Taking the Green out of NAFTA (Business Week, 29 May 2000)

Trade Liberalization and the Environment: From NAFTA to the FTAA (Pierre Marc Johnson, ISUMA, Vol. 1, No. 1, spring 2000) {···english···français}

NAFTA: Related Environmental Issues and Initiatives (Mary Tiemann, Specialist in Environmental Policy, Congressional Research Service [U.S.], 1 Mar. 2000) 

1999:

In Focus: NAFTA and Environment (Stephen Mumme, Foreign Policy In Focus, Vol. 4, No. 26, Oct. 1999)

International Labor Rights and NAFTA's Labor Side Agreement (Lance Compa, Cornell University, in LASA Forum [Latin American Studies Association, University of Pittsburgh], summer 1999)

Lawsuits spark calls for changes in NAFTA (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 23 June 1999)

NAFTA's Corporate Lawsuits (Friends of the Earth and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, Apr. 1999)

NAFTA and after: Slouching towards the Free Trade Area of the Americas (Peter Costantini,1 Jan. 1999)

NAFTA's Chapter 11 and the Environment: Addressing the Impacts of the Investor-State Process on the Environment (Howard Mann and Konrad von Moltke, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1999)

1998:

NAFTA report card: 1994-1999 (Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, Dec. 1998)

NAFTA and after: Mexican labor leader Berta Luján on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (Peter Costantini, 23 Nov. 1998)

Mexico Accused of Failure to Clean Up Plant - Environment: Groups on both sides of border hope NAFTA agreement will lead to removal of lead slag and debris near homes (Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 1998) 

NAFTA and Workers' Rights: A Canadian Perspective (Leo McGrady, McGrady, Baugh & Whyte, National Lawyers Guild Annual Convention, 13 Oct. 1998)

1997:

Deals for NAFTA Votes II: Bait and Switch (Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, Nov. 1997)

NAFTA & Environmental Laws: Ethyl Corp. v. Government of Canada - Chemical Firm Uses Trade Pact to Contest Environmental Law (Michelle Sforza and Mrk Vallianatos, April 1997)