Path: utzoo!mnetor!philmtl!ncc!myrias!dbf
From: dbf@myrias.com (David Ferrier)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: What does it mean to be a Canadian?
Summary: correction to mis-statement on Free Trade pact
Keywords: country of origin
Message-ID: <618593503.8039@myrias.com>
Date: 8 Aug 89 15:31:42 GMT
References: <615662921.9256@myrias.uucp> <568@UALTAVM.BITNET> <609@philmtl.philips.ca> <1458@apss.apss.ab.ca> <1989Jul27.235845.24886@tmsoft.uucp> <1034@jtsv16.UUCP> <6713@cognos.UUCP> <1042@jtsv16.UUCP> <6742@heraclitus.UUCP> <1989Aug7.192704.26849@tmsoft.uucp>
Distribution: can
Organization: Myrias Research Corporation
Lines: 30

In article <1989Aug7.192704.26849@tmsoft.uucp> ead@tmsoft.UUCP (Elizabeth Doucette) writes:
>Before the last federal election free-trade was discussed a lot, as
>everyone knows.  One of the agruements against, was that the U.S. has
>plants (100% owned by U.S. companies) in northern Mexico, along the
>U.S. border.  Products manufactured there and shipped into the U.S.,
>are allowed to be labelled "made in U.S.A.", therefore, fall under the
>free trade agreement.  The products are allowed to be labelled this
>way because raw materials and components are imported into Mexico
>duty-free.  

NOT TRUE. The Free Trade Agreement covers ONLY goods that are
manufactured IN Canada or the United States. As far as the Free
Trade Agreement is concerned, the legal fiction of labeling the goods 
"Made in USA" doesn't change the fact they were made in Mexico. 
Even if Mexico and the USA declare the Mexican border zone 
to be economically a part of the USA, it's still in Mexico, and
Canada has NOT agreed to free trade with Mexico.

It is annoying to hear Free Trade myths like this repeated.
The point that goods manufactured in Mexico are clearly NOT eligible for
importation to Canada under the provisions of the Free Trade
Agreement was made OVER and OVER in every statement made on the subject
last year by calm, rational Free Trade proponents trying to combat 
nonsense expounded by excitable, irrational Free Trade 
opponents. How many times does something have to be said?
-- 
David Ferrier                            | computer: 
Edmonton, Alberta                        | a million morons
uunet!myrias.COM!dbf                     | working at the speed of light