Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari formally sought a free-trade agreement with the United States, initiating the political process that would expand into trilateral NAFTA negotiations.
U.S. President George H. W. Bush publicly stated that he and the leaders of Mexico and Canada intended to pursue a trilateral free trade agreement and that he had informed Congress of his intent to proceed under fast-track procedures.
Trade officials from the United States, Canada, and Mexico opened formal negotiations in Toronto, establishing the trilateral negotiating framework for what became NAFTA.
The U.S. White House announced that the United States, Mexico, and Canada had completed negotiations on the NAFTA, concluding the main bargaining phase and setting the stage for initialing and signature.
The three governments initialed the agreement in San Antonio, marking political agreement on the negotiated text prior to formal signature.
President Bush, Prime Minister Mulroney, and President Salinas signed NAFTA, moving the agreement from negotiated text to a formal treaty awaiting domestic approval in each country.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico reached agreement on supplemental accords addressing labor and environmental issues—key conditions for building political support for U.S. congressional approval.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (H.R. 3450), a decisive step required to implement NAFTA in U.S. law.
The U.S. Senate passed the NAFTA implementing legislation, completing Congress’s principal legislative action needed for U.S. implementation.
Mexico’s Senate approved NAFTA, providing Mexico’s required legislative consent for the agreement to proceed toward entry into force.
President Bill Clinton signed the NAFTA Implementation Act (Public Law 103-182), enacting U.S. statutory authority to implement NAFTA on the scheduled effective date.
NAFTA took effect for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, beginning phased tariff elimination and establishing the agreement’s rules for trade, investment, and dispute settlement.
North American Free Trade Agreement: Negotiation to Implementation (1990–1994)
