Surprise! Nafta's Already Here

Bill Clinton and H. Ross Perot may be reluctant to acknowledge it, but the U.S.-Mexican border is already wide open to trade and likely to remain so whether the North American Free Trade Agreement passes Congress or not. In Laredo, Texas, last week 18-wheelers thundered back and forth on I-35, hauling American-made computers, machine tools and other goods to Mexico and bringing back Mexican-produced TVs, beer and foodstuffs. At the same time, Mexican shoppers streamed across the Rio Grande to splurge at Laredo's glittering Mall Del Norte, where retailers such as Sears and B. Dalton books are often packed. " NAFTA...

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