Analysis of the Selected Impacts of NAFTA and USMCA Agreements on the Economy of the United States of America in the Years 1994–2022

This bachelor's thesis analyzes the economic impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the international trade of the United States of America. The aim of the thesis is to confirm the scientific hypothesis through the analysis of trade balance, employment, and sectoral development: In the context of NAFTA's consequences in the American economy, the negatives have outweighed the positives in the long term, necessitating the negotiation of a new agreement, the USMCA. To verify the hypothesis, the following sub-research questions are used: What political, economic, and social factors led to the creation of NAFTA? What changes occurred in the volumes of exports and imports between the USA and other member states after the implementation of the USMCA? Why did the withdrawal from NAFTA occur and the transition to USMCA happen? The research results indicate that while NAFTA led to a significant increase in trade flows between these countries, contributing to economic growth, it also had mixed impacts on employment in different sectors. It was proven that while some manufacturing sectors faced job losses, other sectors, such as agriculture and services, experienced growth due to increased exports. The transition to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) brought additional changes aimed at addressing some of NAFTA's shortcomings and adapting trade policy to new conditions. The contribution of this thesis is to evaluate the role of international trade agreements in the context of the economic development of the USA, analyzing their positive and negative impacts on the trade balance and labor market. The thesis thus contributes to the discourse on the effectiveness and impacts of trade agreements such as NAFTA and USMCA on the national economy.