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President Clinton continued to take his argument that
NAFTA will create high-wage American jobs to the people of
California following his speech to the AFL-CIO convention on
Monday. In remarks to California citizens, political leaders and
business leaders the President stressed his belief that NAFTA
will help to reverse the course that the American economy took
over the last twelve years. "The objections to NAFTA," the
President stated, "are basically objections to the system that
has existed for the last 12 years, of being able to go down just
across the border, set up a plant, have lower wages, lower
environmental costs, and export back into America with no
tariffs."
"The question the American people should be asking," the
President concluded, "is if we adopt this trade agreement, will
it make it better or worse? It will plainly make it better."
New England Kicks Off Series of Leadership Briefings
The Vice President, Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, USTR
Mickey Kantor, EPA Administrator Carol Browner, and NAFTA
Coordinator William Daley held the first in a series of briefings
yesterday for business and community leaders from New England.
Tomorrow and Thursday, similar briefings will be held for North
Carolina and New Jersey leaders.
Commerce Study Sees $2 Billion Increase In Auto Trade with NAFTA
Following up on the President's argument that NAFTA will
create more and better U.S. jobs, the Commerce Department
yesterday released a study which foresees a $2 billion increase
in U.S. automobile exports to Mexico under NAFTA. "NAFTA
automotive provisions," the study states, "provide the
opportunity for increased U.S. exports of approximately $2
billion in 1994, with increasing potential over the 10-year
transition period."
Announcing the study, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown said
that NAFTA "is a big plus to the automotive industry -- it means
exports and it means jobs." The study found that the American
automobile industry is one of America's biggest winners under the
NAFTA. By removing Mexican laws requiring that U.S. automakers
build in Mexico most of what they sell in Mexico, U.S. automakers
will be able to export American-made cars for sale to Mexican
consumers.
NAFTA Fact
The Big Three automakers expect that 15,000 American jobs
will be supported by increased U.S. automotive exports to Mexico
in the first year of NAFTA alone.