95 



The further lowering and eventual removal of Mexico's tariff 

 and non-tariff barriers to trade will result in further increases 

 in U.S. farm exports. This will be true for a large number of 

 United States' agricultural commodities. 



The NAFTA' s provisions are well known to you and the members 

 of your Committee. We believe that there are sufficient safe- 

 guards and other measures to protect the imoort-sensitive commod- 

 ities. Designated guantities of these safeguarded products may 

 enter at a low tariff, with imports larger than those guantities 

 paying a higher tariff. The United States can apply such safe- 

 guards to a wide range of impacted commodities, including fresh 

 tomatoes, eggplants, chili peppers, sguash, watermelons, and 

 onions. 



There are other safeguards built into the NAFTA. The prod- 

 ucts that receive favorable tariff treatment must originate (or 

 be substantially transformed, such as through a manufacturing 

 process) in Mexico, Canada, or the United States. Under the Rules 

 of Origin, a country cannot import farm goods and ship them to a 

 NAFTA partner under the Agreement's more favorable tariff treat- 

 ment. Mexico's tariffs with other countries will not be changed 

 by the NAFTA. 



Opponents of the NAFTA argue that the Agreement will result 

 in unsafe food entering the United States because of another 

 country's lower standards. Under the NAFTA, we can maintain our 

 stringent standards for health, safety, and the environment, and 

 prohibit imports that do not meet the United States' standards. 



