NAFTA Member Countries: The Three Nations

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) comprised three member countries:

1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. United States

Key Facts

• Effective: January 1, 1994
• Replaced: Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (1989)
• Superseded: July 1, 2020 by USMCA (USA) / CUSMA (Canada) / T-MEC (Mexico)
• Population: ~500 million combined
• GDP: ~$25 trillion combined (2020)

What NAFTA Did

• Eliminated most tariffs on qualifying goods
• Established rules of origin (regional value content)
• Created dispute settlement mechanisms (Chapters 19, 20)
• Included side agreements on labor, environment
• Liberalized services, investment, government procurement

USMCA Updates (2020)

• Higher auto rules of origin (75% regional value)
• Labor value content (40-45% auto at $16/hr)
• Dairy market access (US→Canada)
• Digital trade chapter (no data localization)
• Sunset clause: 16-year review
• Stronger labor enforcement (rapid response)

Current Status

NAFTA no longer exists legally; USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC is the governing agreement. But "NAFTA" remains common shorthand for the trilateral relationship.