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Increased U.S.
Imports of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables have allowed U.S. consumers
to eat more fruit and vegetables and enjoy year-round access
to various fresh produce. Primary suppliers are the North American
Free Trade Agreement region for fresh vegetables, the Southern
Hemisphere countries for off-season fresh fruit, and equatorial
countries for bananas.
North American Agricultural Market
Integration and Its Impact on the Food and Fiber System reviews
the increasing integration of agricultural markets in Canada,
Mexico, and the United States that has resulted in more efficient
use of continental resources. NAFTA, technological change, and
fundamental forces of supply and demand have helped bring about
a more unified North American agricultural market.
NAFTA at 13: Implementation Nears Completion evaluates
the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as
implementation of the accord draws to a close. Just a handful of
the agricultural trade restrictions scheduled to be phased out
under NAFTA remain, and these are scheduled for elimination in
2008. Once NAFTA is fully implemented, the member countries—Canada,
Mexico, and the United States—will need to exercise their
national autonomy, either individually or in concert, to achieve
further integration of their agricultural markets.
North
America Moves Toward One Market describes how the agricultural
sectors of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are increasingly
behaving as if they form a single market. For example, many livestock
in North America have lived in at least two of these countries,
and U.S. consumers are purchasing fresh produce from both Mexico
and Canada. NAFTA at 11: The Growing
Integration of North American Agriculture provides additional
information on this subject, as it relates to the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Market Integration
of the North American Animal Products Complex examines the economic
integration of the beef, pork, and poultry industries of Mexico,
Canada, and the United States over the past two decades. Sanitary
barriers, which are designed to protect people and animals from
diseases, are among the more significant barriers to more complete
integration of meat and animal markets.
Recent Agricultural Policy Reforms
in North America identifies countercyclical assistance as the
common thread in the recent agricultural policy innovations of the
United States, Mexico,and Canada. In other areas, the three countries
are pursuing distinct agricultural policies, reflecting differing
national objectives and economic contexts.
North
American Greenhouse Tomatoes Emerge as a Major Market Force
reviews the rapid growth of the greenhouse tomato industry in North
American and its impact on the field tomato industry. Canada is
the biggest producer, followed by the United States and Mexico.
For the full report, see Greenhouse
Tomatoes Change the Dynamics of the North American Fresh Tomato
Industry.
NAFTA at 11: The Growing Integration
of North American Agriculture reports that the agricultural
sectors of Canada, Mexico, and the United States have become much
more integrated in the 11 years since implementation of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). U.S. feedstuffs have facilitated
a marked increase in Mexican meat production and consumption, and
the importance of Canadian and Mexican produce to U.S. fruit and
vegetable consumption is also growing.
Global Trade Patterns in Fruits
and Vegetables examines the domestic markets and trade experiences
of major fruit and vegetable traders—including the NAFTA area—to
better understand the economic and institutional factors affecting
trade. With major advances in produce handling and transport, combined
with trade agreements and changing consumers preferences as incomes
rise, a more global market is providing consumers with greater year-round
variety.
Multlateralism
and Regionalism: Dual Strategies for Trade Reform reviews U.S.
pursuit of trade liberalization through regional agreements such
as NAFTA and the Free Trade Area of the Americas, and through multilateral
negotiations via the World Trade Organization. Why does the United
States do both simultaneously?
U.S.-Mexico Broiler
Trade: A Bird's Eye View examines sanitary requirements and
regulations governing the U.S.-Mexico broiler trade. A sensitivity
analysis, using a cost-minimization mathematical programming model,
detects minimal economic impact on the U.S. broiler market if Mexico
is allowed to ship fresh, chilled, and frozen poultry to the United
States.
Mexico's Changing
Marketing System for Fresh Produce: Emerging Markets, Practices,
Trends, and Issues takes a detailed look at recent changes in
Mexico's fresh produce distribution system. The report identifies
challenges that hinder the efficient distribution of fresh fruits
and vegetables, as well as the implications for U.S. growers and
shippers of fresh produce.
NAFTA's
Impacts on U.S. Agriculture: Trade and Beyond concludes that
NAFTA has generally benefited U.S. agriculture and related industries.
NAFTA contributed to a more than doubling of U.S. agricultural trade
with Canada and Mexico in the 1990s. Beyond direct trade impacts,
NAFTA established rules and institutions that mitigate potential
trade frictions, promote foreign direct investment, and facilitate
discourse on environmental issues.
Effects of the North American
Free Trade Agreement on Agriculture and the Rural Economy provides
a commodity-level assessment of NAFTA's impact on U.S. agricultural
trade with Canada and Mexico and evaluates its influence on investment
and employment in agriculture and related industries. Also addressed
are the relationship between trade liberalization and the environment
and recent developments in U.S.-Mexico transportation.
The Changing Structure
of Agricultural Trade in North America Pre- and Post-CUSTA/NAFTA:
What Does It Mean? assesses U.S., Canadian, and Mexican agricultural
trade since 1974. Analytical results indicate that recent changes
in the makeup and direction of this trade have benefited consumers
in the NAFTA region. Economic statistics in the analysis encompass
U.S. market share, destination share, bilateral trade intensity,
comparative advantage, distance, trade policies, and other factors.
Applying the same methodology, Changing
Agricultural Trade Patterns in North America provides more detailed
information on trade in field crops and high-value, processed products.
Transportation
Bottlenecks Shape U.S.-Mexico Food and Agricultural Trade illustrates
how fast-growing trade has been accompanied by substantial traffic
backups at major border crossings. Sizable investments have been
made in border infrastructure, transportation systems, and customs
operations. Progress in these areas will determine the pace of future
growth in trade, as well as the extent to which trade travels by
land, air, or sea.
Trade Liberalization:
International Trade Agreements Bring Adjustment to the Textile and
Apparel Industries indicates that, with the implementation of
NAFTA and the GATT's 1995 Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, these
sectors have experienced declining employment. This trend is highly
important for rural America, since these industries often are located
in non-metro countries. In response to these developments, the Federal
Government has provided training, income support, and relocation
allowances to affected workers.
U.S.-Mexico
Sweetener Trade Mired in Dispute reviews disputes between the
two countries over liberalizing sugar trade. The original text of
NAFTA provides a formula for the gradual liberalization based on
the projected difference between sugar production and consumption
in both countries. However, a Side Letter to NAFTA modifies this
process somewhat. Unfortunately, Mexico and the United States subscribe
to different versions of the Side Letter, each with distinct provisions
for liberalizing U.S.-Mexico sugar trade. This issue has important
implications for U.S.-Mexico sugar trade and for U.S. sugar policy.
Pesticide Price Differentials
Between Canada and the U.S. compares pesticide markets in the
States of Minnesota and North Dakota and the Canadian provinces
of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The study reveals a complex pattern
in which price differences, pesticide expenditures, and pesticide
use vary by province and state. Some pesticides are cheaper in Canada,
while others are cheaper in the United States. This pattern is largely
the result of regional differences in supply and demand.
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