North American Free Trade Agreement

Republican politicians are hailing the new agreement as a trade milestone. Some labor groups would disagree.

As long as national borders are strictly enforced, workers at the bottom of the labor ladder will be pitted against one another.

The United States has proposed several changes to the trade agreement, most of which appear to be aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit.

In retrospect, it's clear how globalization and free trade disrupted the U.S. steel industry. It could be happening again. Survival for steel towns might be a matter of lower expectations and good luck.

Or will its historic labor protections be ignored and unenforced?