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SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW AND THEORY OF SUBORDINATE INTEGRATION...
European Economic Community where the participating economies are
essentially similar in their levels of overall development.
Now then, some experts say that what is being formed is not really “a
free trade agreement,” but instead, a type of “continental magna carta”
of free trading; an absolute guarantee to private enterprise rights is being
engendered. 26 Obviously, in order for Mexico to compete with U.S. private
industry, it must create economic, labor and governmental conditions
similar to that country. Over the years the economic interest of the United
States and its governmental authorities have been trying, with considerable
success, to destroy the Mexican nationalist tradition of protecting its political
economy. For example, in November of 1987, Mexico and the United
States signed an agreement to establish a mechanism to resolve trade conflicts
and agreed to begin to liberalize trade in areas such as textiles, steel,
electronics, intellectual property, general services, investments and others. 27
Rapidly, in December of the same year, an agreement was signed increasing
the U.S. quota in textiles and steel from Mexico. On its side, Mexico
allowed the sale of products from the twin plant (maquiladora) industries
(manufacture and assembly) in its national market. In addition in 1979
the president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, proposed to Mexico the
creation of a “common market” with the United States and Canada. 28 As
is well known, beginning in 1983 Mexico initiated its trade opening in
terms of external trade, becoming a member of GATT (General Agreement
on Trade and Tariffs) in August, 1986. In recent years, Mexico has made
exportation its favored strategy or model for economic development. 29
In short, there are many arguments in favor and many against Mexico’s
participation in the North American Free Trade Zone as an integral member.
We will have to wait and see what is revealed by future official agreements
and concrete experience. Nevertheless, the theoretical assumptions
already forebode that in situations where economies are at very different
levels of economic development, 30 the country with the weakest economy
will receive less benefits and, in the long run, the effects of integration
26
Dillon, John, “U.S.-Canada Free Trade; Latin America is Next,” NACLA, Vol.
XXII, No. 4, New York, July-August 1988, p. 8.
27
Ibid., p. 8.
28
Salinas Chávez, Antonio, “Repercusiones de la liberación comercial de América
del Norte,” Comercio Exterior, Vol. 39, No. 10, Mexico, October, 1989,
p. 887.
29
Ibid. p. 891.
30
In 1987, Mexico had a per capita of US $1,860 as compared to the United States
US $18,220. See: International Monetary Fund, Estadísticas Financieras
Internacionales, Dec. 1988, The World Bank, World Development Report,
1988.
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