When the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1993, I never had much opinion about it one way or another. I agreed with its premise of expanding trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States as I thought it would bring medication prices down, help move labor across borders where it is needed, etc.
Instead, twenty years later, I find it costs me far less for one of my medications if I order it through a Canadian pharmacy (it ships from India). I pay about half the cost (including shipping) for a 90-day supply than it would cost for the generic in my local pharmacy.
It seems like we hear of more cases of contaminated food than before. Although it is difficult to blame it on NAFTA, much of our produce and vegetables are imported, especially during off-seasons. When I go to the store now, I have to check the expiration date on every single item I buy. On a recent trip to the grocery, I found about 10% of the items sitting on the shelves was expired. One product was outdated by 7 months!
I realize that sub-standard management oversight and training of help, poor attitudes of people stocking the shelves, and labor shortages all contribute to this. Even so, I wonder if NAFTA really means No Aliment Fit To Accept.
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