Fabric Friends and Clothing Foes: A Comparative Analysis of Textile and Apparel Industries under the NAFTA

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which trade between Canada and the United States is liberalized in the textile and apparel goods chapter of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It demonstrates that moderate liberalization is achieved in textile trade and protectionism is increased in apparel trade. It finds that the Canadian apparel industry will be most damaged by the agreement since its interests conflict with U.S. textile and apparel industries and it shares few goals with the Canadian textile industry.