Trade in an Era of Heightened Security: Sustaining the Prosperity Partnership

The comprehensive U.S.-canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect in 1989, but was superseded in 1994 by the north American Free Trade Agreement (nAFTA). nAFTA embraces the 443 million people of canada, the United States and Mexico, and expands upon the FTA by reducing trade barriers while developing agreed upon trade rules. Since the implementation of nAFTA, total two-way merchandise trade between the United States and canada has grown by 250%.2 The Security and Prosperity Partnership, launched in 2005 by the nAFTA partners, represents an effort to address these immense challenges on a continental basis.3