[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 32 (Monday, August 16, 1993)]
[Pages 1613-1614]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on North American Free Trade Agreement Supplemental Accords

 August 13, 1993

    I am pleased that the United States, Mexico, and Canada have reached 
agreement on the supplemental accords to the North American Free Trade 
Agreement.
    Last fall, I pledged that I would not submit NAFTA to Congress until 
my administration addressed shortfalls in the areas of environmental 
protection, worker rights, and import surges. Early this morning we 
fulfilled that promise. Today I pledge my strongest commitment to a 
major effort this fall to secure NAFTA's passage.
    With the completion of the side accords, we have turned NAFTA into a 
pathbreaking trade agreement. NAFTA is strongly in the interest of the 
United States. This agreement helps our workers, our environment, our 
businesses, and our consumers.
    With these agreements on environmental quality and labor standards, 
the North American Free Trade Agreement has become a fair trade 
agreement as well.

[[Page 1614]]

    NAFTA will create thousands of high paying American jobs by 
unlocking access to Mexico, a growing market of 90 million people that 
thirst for American products and services. The old rules marked by high 
trade barriers and preferences for companies manufacturing in Mexico 
have been pushed aside. In their place NAFTA establishes a level playing 
field, low tariffs, and a tough mechanism for resolving environmental 
and labor problems.
    NAFTA is part of my broad economic strategy to gear the American 
economy for a changing world, to channel change for the benefit of 
working men and women. I look forward to working with the Congress and 
the American people to make NAFTA a reality.