Nafta

North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trilateral trade bloc in North America created by the governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

As of 2007 the trade bloc is the largest in the world and second largest by nominal GDP comparison. It also is one of the most powerful, wide-reaching treaties in the world.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has two supplements: the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) and the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC).

Maquiladoras (Mexican factories which take in imported raw materials and produce goods for export) have become the landmark of trade in Mexico. These are plants that moved to this region from the United States.

Canada (top)

It is a member is NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which provides a forum in which the USA, Canada, and European countries can consult together on securities issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them.

The country is a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which helps facilitate trade with Mexico and the United States. It is the world's largest free trade area, which now links 444 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services.

Canada occupies virtually the entire northern half of the North American continent sharing border with the United States of America.

The country is a member of APEC, which is the premier Asia-Pacific economic forum with the primary goal to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

British Colombia’s coal industry has made a dramatic comeback since China began to import coal in 2004. Two new mines have opened and seven more are planned. Altogether, the province has 25 billion tons of proven coal reserves .

To help the economy new spending and tax breaks will be implemented in 2009 and 2010 valued at US$43 billion. Most of the money will be spent to improve railways, roads and ports. Even more money will be allocated to buy mortgage-backed securities from banks, in hopes that they will boost lending. Finally, more than US$2 billion will be spent to improve existing housing and build new units.

Canada is ranked second in crude oil reserves. The country’s total oil production is predicted to increase to 4mb/d by 2015 in comparison to 2.5 mb/d in 2003. The oil sector has created several mergers and acquisitions. Encana Corporation is located in Canada and one of the largest oil production companies in North America.

Canada has a relatively liberal business environment though there are restrictions on foreign ownership in selected industries. The province of Ontario has emerged as the leading producer of cars in North America, replacing the U.S. state of Michigan.

In the mineral sector, Canada is the world's largest producer of zinc and uranium and has substantial reserves of nickel, potash, cobalt, silver and gold . Asian companies particularly Chinese and South Korean, are investing heavily in Canada's mineral and energy resources.

As Canada's baby-boomers enter retirement, the dependency ratio will rise and the working-age population will shrink without a net inflow of migrants . Therefore those looking to migrant to Canada may be able to do so with more ease.

Mexico (top)

The country is a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which helps facilitate trade with the United States and Canada. It is the world's largest free trade area, which now links 444 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services.

Mexico shares a border almost the length of 2,000 miles with the United States of America, which facilitates ease of trade and transportation between the two countries. It also has coastlines on both the Atlantic and the Pacific and embraces a wide range of territorial types.

The country is a member of APEC, which is the premier Asia-Pacific economic forum with the primary goal to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mexico has the third-largest amount of conventional crude oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere . Pemex is the largest government owned petroleum company in Mexico and tenth largest worldwide .

Between 2008 and 2010, Mexico is predicted to be the wealthiest country in Latin America in basic GDP terms due to its expanding middle class, increased access to consumer credit and sales of consumer goods and services. By 2010 Mexico will have the highest GDP per capita Latin America with US$10,159 . This creates opportunity for companies looking to target the Mexican target or searching for investment opportunities.

United States of America (top)

It is a member is NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which provides a forum in which the USA, Canada, and European countries can consult together on securities issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them.

The country is a member of APEC, which is the premier Asia-Pacific economic forum with the primary goal to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States is a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which helps facilitate trade with Mexico and Canada. It is the world's largest free trade area, which now links 444 million people producing $17 trillion worth of goods and services.

The U.S. is a federation of 50 states which spans the land mass between the Pacific Ocean and the northern Atlantic. In the north it borders on Canada, and in the south with Mexico with a border of approximately 2000 miles facilitating the ease of trade and transportation between the two countries.

Agriculture accounts for just 1.0% of GDP and is predominately large scale and efficient. The US is a major exporter of foodstuffs and processed foods. The country's manufacturing sector contributes 12.1% of GDP and leads the way in the information technology revolution. Prominent industries include aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics and computers. The most important activities in the service sector include real estate, transport, finance, healthcare and business services. Congress expects to enact a series of financial reforms in the near future in hope of strengthen the service market even further.

The USA has 21.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, which is the eleventh highest in the world. Domestic oil exploration and development spending by US oil companies has rebounded as oil prices rise. Overall, production from deepwater areas of the Gulf of Mexico has been increasing rapidly, with deepwater wells accounting for about two-thirds of total US Gulf output .
Most growth and economic activity takes place in metropolitan areas. An estimated US$225 billion is needed each year for upkeep however funding is difficult to find, therefore creating opportunity for foreign investment .

There are several tax advantages in individual states. States such as Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wyoming New Hampshire, and Tennessee offer no the advantage of no income taxes. Instead of paying the state approximately 7-15% of your income, you can use that money for an investment. The top six states with the lowest Property Taxes are Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The state of Delaware has low income tax levels and provides tax incentives to US corporations. The state also has partnership taxation laws which make it favorable to non-US entities, generally allowing taxation at 0% where the partners are registered in non-US jurisdictions .

Euromonitor International