Mexican church leaders express concern over NAFTA changes

Published: 2008-01-07

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- The Mexico City Archdiocese urged the Mexican federal government to better protect some of the country's poorest and most vulnerable residents as concern grows that a flood of duty-free agricultural imports from highly subsidized U.S. producers could force many small-scale farmers to abandon rural areas and head to the United States. Hugo Valdemar, archdiocesan spokesman, expressed concern about the North American Free Trade Agreement's impact on Mexican farmers after the Jan. 1 removal of duties on four basic products: white corn, beans, sugar cane and powdered milk. The tariff removals were mandated by the 14-year-old agreement. "The church is deeply concerned about the ushering in of this phase of the free trade agreement," Valdemar told reporters Jan. 6. He added that the changes could lead to an "increase in poverty" and "more immigration to the United States."

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