The North American Free Trade Agreement: Implications for the Partiees and World Oil Markets

The proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been criticized because it failed to open Mexico's hydrocarbon reserves to development by private parties. This failure is an economic tragedy. Consumer welfare will clearly be reduced as a consequence. However, the loss is confined to Mexico where economic growth rates may be reduced by as much as one half of one percent per year. Otherwise, the agreement will have insignificant impacts on the world oil market. Future levels of production and prices will be unaffected by the agreement.