NAFTA is a trade agreement signed by the North American nations Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In terms of combined GDP between countries, it has created the largest trading bloc in the world. NAFTA is the result of many years of negotiations, beginning in 1986 under President Ronald Reagan, and finally signed on December 17, 1992 under President George H. W. Bush. It was fully implemented in 2008 under President Barack Obama. The trade agreement was largely implemented following the growing global trend towards free trade between countries. The economies of these three countries have been interdependent for a long time. For these reasons, NAFTA eliminated nearly all tariffs between the United States, Canada, and Mexico and helped reduce previously imposed hardships on free trade and investment in North America. In doing so, he has both helped and hurt his countries' economies. While it has increased trade in North America, reduced food and oil prices, and increased foreign investment, it has also lost jobs in the United States, led to the exploitation of Mexican workers, and created a multitude of environmental problems. NAFTA greatly increased trade between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It tripled from an amount of $297 billion in 1993 to $1 trillion in 2007. This is due to the NAFTA provision that eliminated trade barriers, which repelled foreign investment. Before NAFTA, businesses had more difficulty trading with partners just across the border in Canada or Mexico. Tariffs have prevented trade between these nations from reaching its peak, and NAFTA has helped limit this trend. Some industries are simply more profitable to pursue in the other...... middle of paper ......th American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) —." USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Web.Robert, E. Scott. "The High Price of 'Free' Trade." Economic Policy Institute Np, 11/17/2003. Web. Rothstein, Jesse and Robert E. Scott "NAFTA and States: Job Destruction Is Widespread ( EPI Issue Brief #119)." Economic Policy Institute. September 1, 1997. Web.Slait, Jackie. "The Environmental Impact of NAFTA." Valli Sharpe-Geisler for the Secretary of State. September 16, 1997. Web.Strachan, Maxwell. “US Economy Lost Nearly 700,000 Jobs Due to NAFTA, EPI Says.” Latest News and Views on The Huffington Post May 15, 2011. Web.” NAFTA Web Issues. Tiemann, Mary "NAFTA: Related Environmental Issues and Initiatives." Foreign press centers. March 1, 2000. Web."World Crude Oil Prices." US Energy Information Administration. June 2, 2011. Web.