Economic Characteristics of NAFTA
The magnitude of the economic relationship the United States, Canada and Mexico through trade and capital flows can be measured by the following data. In the United States implemented approximately 75-80% of Canadian exports (20% of the GDP of Canada). The proportion of dollars in foreign direct investment in Canada - over 75% in the United States and Canada - 9%. In the United States sent about 70% of Mexican exports, and from there goes 65% of Mexican imports. The proportion of the total U.S. foreign direct investment in Mexico more than 60%. GDP in the United States 14.5 times the GDP of Canada and 19 times - Mexico. In terms of population, in terms of total gross domestic product and a number of basic economic indicators for North American integration group is comparable with the European Union. NAFTA has a strong (especially through the United States), economic potential, for example, the annual output of goods and services to the U.S., Canada and Mexico is $ 5 trillion, and their share in world trade amounts to almost 20%. The structure of the North American integrated complex has its own characteristics compared with a European model of integration. The main difference - asymmetric economic dependence of the United States, Canada and Mexico. The interaction of economic structures of Mexico and Canada is far inferior to the depth and extent of Canada-American and Mexican-American integration. Canada and Mexico are likely competitors in the U.S. market of goods and labor, competition to attract capital and technology of American corporations, as partners in the integration process. Another feature of the North American economic grouping is that its members are in different starting conditions. If Canada for the past decade, managed to come close to the main macro economic (GDP per capita, labor productivity) to the United States, Mexico, for many years located on the economically backward state with a large external debt, are still noticeably behind these countries on the main base indicators. The difference in GDP per capita between Mexico and the United States is 6.6 times, and with Canada - 4.1 times. Such a significant gap in levels of economic development of member countries makes it difficult to create a single economic complex. It is also worth noting that, within NAFTA, unlike the EU and APEC, there is only one center of economic power - United States, whose economy is several times bigger than Canada and Mexico combined. This facilitates the management monotsentrichnost (country-leader could easily impose their decisions on weaker partners), but at the same time creates an environment of potential conflict (Partners United States may be dissatisfied with their subordinate status). In addition, the integration is one-sided: Canada and Mexico are closely integrated with the United States, but not with each other. However, the United States as a result of this agreement have received significant benefits:
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