RESOLUTION

REAFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR
THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

WHEREAS the mission of the Texas Border Coalition is to provide vision and leadership to develop, encourage, promote and protect the business, tourism, industry and community interests of the Texas–Mexico border region;

WHEREAS fourteen (14) million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico, and 43 of 50 U.S. states list Canada or Mexico as their 1st or 2nd largest export market;

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WHEREAS after 24 years, NAFTA should be renegotiated and modernized to assure the U.S. remains competitive against other trade blocs, to preserve U.S. jobs and to discourage the outflow of capital;

WHEREAS, the purpose of this resolution is to provide a unified voice for the border region and to advocate for a clear economic and business case in support of fair competition;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Texas Border Coalition reaffirms its support for the North American Free Trade Agreement, understanding that it:

1. Urges the President and the Congress of the United States to recognize the importance of trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada as an opportunity to renegotiate, modernize and optimize North America’s competitiveness;

2. Supports that the first rule of renegotiation should be Do No Harm;

3. Provides for clear, straight-forward rules of trade to insure that all business, in particular small to medium-sized businesses, have the opportunity to participate;

4. Provides for modernization, by adopting advances in technology not in existence in 1994, and improving cross-border coordination and efficiency;

5. Recognizes that a one-size-fits-all barrier approach to border security is not the solution. In addition to utilizing state of the art technology, it is vital to work with the border terrain and topography to create an effective barrier which would include a virtual barrier instead of a physical barrier; and

6. Supports that renegotiation should be conducted with urgency, so as to minimize economic uncertainty, currently present in the U.S. economy.