Fairchild and Aubin
355
Table 6: Benefits to Grain and Oilseeds Sub-sector of Own Country
from NAFTA--Percent Response for Each Report Card by
Country and Total._____________________________________
Country |
Canada |
United States |
Mexico |
Total |
Report Card |
^st 2nd |
fst 2nd |
^st 2nd |
^st 2nd |
Response |
% |
%_____ |
% |
%________ |
Large Gain |
47 33 |
15 6 |
— — |
27 18 |
Small Gain |
53 67 |
55 50 |
— — |
49 53 |
No Change |
— — |
5 13 |
25 — |
5 6 |
Small Loss |
— — |
15 25 |
50 67 |
12 18 |
Large Loss |
— — |
— — |
25 33 |
2 3 |
Don’t Know |
— — |
10 6_________ |
— — |
5 3_____________ |
Source: Compiled from response data.
percent, respectively, for American responses (Table 6). None of the Mexican
respondents believed there were any gains to their grains and oilseeds sub-
sector from NAFTA, and 75 percent believed there was some degree of loss.
These responses suggest that Canadians believe they have a competitive ad-
vantage in grains and oilseeds within NAFTA. Americans seem to hold similar
opinions, although not as strongly. Clearly, Mexicans feel that their country
has sustained losses in this sub-sector.
Responses remained relatively unchanged from the first to the second
report card, with the exception of decreases in the large-gain category for both
Canadian and American participants, fueled by an increase in small gain for
Canadians and increase in no change and small loss for Americans. The sec-
ond report card found Mexicans even more pessimistic on grains and oilseeds,
with increases in the small-loss and large-loss categories (Table 6).
Benefits to the Red Meat Sub-sector
Concerning the red-meat sub-sector, in both report cards, clearly Ca-
nadians believe they have an advantage, as two-thirds believe Canada has got-
ten a large gain and one-third a small gain from NAFTA (Table 7). American
responses to the first report card also indicated some optimism as one-half
indicated their red-meat sub-sector had received a small gain from NAFTA,
with 15 percent indicating a large gain. However, 5 percent OfAmericans thought
there had been no change, 20 percent thought there was some type of loss, and