The Foreign Service Journal, October 2007

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 33 any Mexicans, Canadians and Americans welcomed the North Ameri- can Free Trade Agreement as a way to stimulate the economies of all three countries and usher in a new era of growth and progress. In the nearly 14 years that have followed NAFTA’s entry into force on Jan. 1, 1994, com- merce has become even more global, and technology has revolutionized business in ways that were only beginning to materialize then. These changes, combined with the opportunities created by NAFTA, have made the econo- mies of Mexico and the United States more dependent on each other than ever, to the benefit of U.S. companies and consumers. U.S. exports to Mexico have increased enormously since the implementation of NAFTA, growing from $41.6 billion in 1993 to $134.2 billion in 2006, a 223-per- cent jump. At the same time, U.S. imports from Mexico have grown fourfold over the same period, going from $39.9 billion to $198.3 billion. Overall trade in goods and services across the U.S.-Mexico border now exceeds a bil- lion dollars a day, with commercial trucks carrying 75 to 80 percent of the freight. Yet while NAFTA promised to tear down trade barri- ers, many business leaders in both countries now believe that the border between Mexico and the United States has itself become an obstacle, pointing to excessive com- mercial inspections and lack of infrastructure at the bor- der. Following the Security and Prosperity Partnership ministerial meeting in March and President George W. Bush’s visit with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Merida, Mexico, the two countries reaffirmed their com- mitment to balancing security precautions with trade facilitation. The Weight of Waiting Particularly in the post-9/11 era, no one questions the importance of customs and security inspections for vehi- cles and cargo entering the United States. However, the increasingly long wait times such scrutiny requires, affecting not only cargo-laden trucks but also day-trippers crossing the border into the United States, are a concern of business leaders and government officials alike. Often it takes several hours just to reach the U.S. point of inspection at the port of entry. Equally troubling, some U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say the delays may leave those vehicles more susceptible to secu- rity threats. Border communities have also expressed concern about the environmental costs of pollution spew- ing from engines kept idling in long lines. F O C U S O N T H E U . S . B O R D E R S E MBRACING C HANGE ON THE U.S.-M EXICO B ORDER W HILE NAFTA PROMISED TO TEAR DOWN TRADE BARRIERS , MANY BUSINESS LEADERS BELIEVE THAT THE BORDER ITSELF HAS BECOME AN OBSTACLE . B Y E LIZABETH M ARTIN M Elizabeth Martin, an FSO since 2003, is an economic officer in Mexico City.