Somente em inglês.Since the passage of NAFTA, there has been much debate about the merits and problems of the trade agreement and its effects upon a broad array of industrial sectors within each of the signatory countries. With more than a decade having passed since its inception, recent assessments have focused on whether it has improved competitiveness in the economies of the countries involved. In bringing together low wage and high wage economies in a largely tariff-free market, NAFTA exposed the competitive disadvantages of many low-wage, low skilled and labor-intensive US firms. At the same time, it was assumed that not only would these jobs migrate south to Mexico and build upon earlier established offshore production programs (maquiladoras), but that NAFTA would enable Mexican firms to gradually upgrade their production capabilities and move into higher added value sectors. In turn this would lead to higher wages for Mexican workers which would then stimulate the domestic Mexican economy, reducing both unemployment and poverty. By using the apparel and textile industries as a test case, this book evaluates these propositions and provides us with an interesting snapshot of what NAFTA has meant for firms and workers in both the United States and Mexico.Seulement en anglais.Únicamente en Inglés.