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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Issues: NAFTA

Trump Uses Questionable Figure for U.S. ‘Plants and Factories’ Lost Since NAFTA

Trump Uses Questionable Figure for U.S. ‘Plants and Factories’ Lost Since NAFTA
April 15, 2025

When President Donald Trump has talked about the need for higher tariffs on imports of foreign goods because of a decline in American manufacturing, he has often made the claim that “90,000 plants and factories” in the U.S. closed after the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994. But that figure is questionable, and experts say other factors, such as automation, had more to do with the large decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs than trade.

Night 3 of the Republican National Convention

Night 3 of the Republican National Convention
July 18, 2024

Former President Donald Trump’s newly selected running mate, JD Vance, accepted the Republican Party’s vice presidential nomination on the convention’s third night, which featured claims about the economy, immigration and foreign policy.

Is Mexico Paying for the Wall Through USMCA?

Is Mexico Paying for the Wall Through USMCA?
December 14, 2018

President Donald Trump declared via Twitter that he is keeping perhaps his most famous campaign promise, claiming that “MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!” through a recent trade agreement negotiated with Mexico. But economic and trade experts we interviewed said that’s not possible.

Trump Wrong on Mexico’s VAT

Trump Wrong on Mexico’s VAT
September 28, 2018

President Donald Trump wrongly said that “nobody from this country knew” about Mexico’s value-added tax until after NAFTA was signed. A deputy U.S. trade representative at the time NAFTA was put in place said: “US policymakers, embassy officials and tax authorities were fully aware of Mexico’s VAT system.”

Facts on Trade

Facts on Trade
September 24, 2018

Here we highlight a number of key statistics about trade, and summarize some of the stories we have written when these facts have been misrepresented.

U.S. Trade with Canada Not ‘Smaller’ Than With Mexico

U.S. Trade with Canada Not ‘Smaller’ Than With Mexico
August 28, 2018

In announcing a tentative agreement with Mexico, President Donald Trump called Mexico “a very large trading partner” and said negotiations would now begin with Canada, which he called a “smaller segment.” But U.S. trade with Canada was about $57 billion larger than trade with Mexico in 2017.

Trump’s Phoenix Fiction

Trump’s Phoenix Fiction
August 23, 2017

The president revises history, exaggerates accomplishments and makes false claims.

The U.S.-Canada Dairy Dispute

The U.S.-Canada Dairy Dispute
April 28, 2017

President Donald Trump has said that what Canada has “done to our dairy farm workers is a disgrace” and that “dairy farmers in Wisconsin and upstate New York … are getting killed by NAFTA.” But that trade agreement isn’t what’s hurting farmers in the current dispute.

FactChecking Trump’s CPAC Speech

FactChecking Trump’s CPAC Speech
February 24, 2017

President Donald Trump made a triumphant return to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, where he made a lot of the same false and misleading claims we’ve been fact-checking for months.