NAFTA 2.0: Renegotiated NAFTA—What can we mean?

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) discusses the implications of the Trump administration's 2017 decision to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). CIEL argues that NAFTA has historically expanded resource-intensive industries at the expense of the environment and labor rights, and calls for a new trade system that prioritizes human rights, climate protection, and the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies and investor-state dispute settlements.

• Since its 1994 enactment, NAFTA has led to the expansion of resource-intensive industries in North America, which has negatively impacted local economies, workers' rights, and the environment. Excessive investor protections have further weakened health, labor, and environmental regulations across the member countries.
• In Mexico, NAFTA contributed to an increase in factory farms using higher levels of pesticides and water, and facilitated the expansion of mining activities through land reform and regulatory changes. Approximately 28% of Mexican land has been allocated for mining, and the proliferation of foreign-owned export-oriented manufacturing factories (maquiladoras) has caused significant hazardous waste and toxic pollution.
• NAFTA's energy chapter includes a proportionality clause that requires Canada to maintain a fixed share of oil and gas exports to the United States. This requirement has supported the growth of carbon-intensive energy industries, such as tar sands oil, and can limit the Canadian government's ability to implement environmental regulations.
• Chapter 11 of NAFTA allows corporations to sue countries for protecting public interests, which CIEL asserts undermines existing regulations and chills the development of new environmental, health, and labor laws.
• CIEL advocates for a renegotiated NAFTA that eliminates fossil fuel subsidies, reduces trade in coal, oil, and gas, removes the investor-state dispute settlement system, and implements the precautionary principle. They also demand greater transparency and public participation in the negotiation process.

APA

Kistler, A. (2017). NAFTA 2.0: Renegotiated NAFTA—What can we mean? Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/nafta-2-0-renegotiated-nafta-mean-can/

Chicago

Kistler, Amanda. NAFTA 2.0: Renegotiated NAFTA—What can we mean? Center for International Environmental Law, 2017. https://www.ciel.org/nafta-2-0-renegotiated-nafta-mean-can/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Kistler |first1=Amanda |title=NAFTA 2.0: Renegotiated NAFTA—What can we mean? |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=18 May 2017 |url=https://www.ciel.org/nafta-2-0-renegotiated-nafta-mean-can/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{kistler2017nafta, author = {Kistler, Amanda}, title = {{NAFTA 2.0: Renegotiated NAFTA—What can we mean?}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.ciel.org/nafta-2-0-renegotiated-nafta-mean-can/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }