Page 6
Editorial..
Last night the House of Representatives gave Bill
Clinton a major victory in his fight for NAFTA. The
House voted to approve the treaty 234-200. The
treaty now moves on to the Senate where it is
expected to pass by a large margin.
Many people know that NAFTA will create the
world's largest free-trade zone, but many do not
really know what NAFTA is all about. The free
trade zone will stretch from Mexico to Canada and
includes 370 million people. The treaty will lower
and eventually eliminate trade barriers between the
countries withinin a time frame of 15 years. At the
present time the United States collects a 3.9% tariff
on imports and Mexico collects a 10% tariff on
imports. Canada's tariffs on United States' imports
were eliminated by earlier treaties. NAFTA also
promises to promote fair competition between the
countries and protect copyrights. Finally, NAFTA
will set up a forum to resolve disputes and will
establish a framework for future agreements
between the countries. Any of the three countries
can withdraw from the treaty with six month's
notice. These are facts, but opinions are mixed on
the ramifications. Supporters claim that the treaty
will decrease the number of illegal immigrants that
enter the United States because Mexico's economy
should improve. Opposers feel that Mexico's
economy will not significantly improve and illegal
immigrants will flow across open borders.
Supporters feel that up to 900,000 jobs will be
created as the marketplace grows. Opposers fear
that the treat will • ush industries south to take
advantage of cheaper labor. They are also worried
that illegal drug-runners will be able to freely cross
borders.
These will be interesting developments to chart if
the treaty passes as expected in the Senate. No
matter what happens, the House vote was a
significant win for Clinton.
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BEHREI;D
Published weekly by the students -
The Pennsylvania State University
at Erie. The Behrend Coil e
C? -Editors
Matthew D. Cissnc
Alicia !human
Bus(nest% Manager
Dorian" Stremic
The Collegian's *tutorial opinion is
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