[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 50 (Monday, December 19, 1994)]
[Pages 2496-2497]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Welcoming Chile to the North American Free Trade Agreement 
Partnership in Miami

December 11, 1994

    Mr. Prime Minister, President Zedillo, President Frei: I would like 
to begin my remarks by expressing my appreciation on behalf of the 
United States to the leaders and the people of Mexico and Canada for 
being such good partners in NAFTA this last year. This has been a very, 
very good deal for the United States of America.
    Beginning with our agreement with Canada, and with our completion of 
the NAFTA agreement, we have seen a substantial increase in trade and an 
increase in jobs, good-paying jobs, for the American people. In the last 
year alone, we estimate that 100,000 jobs have been added to the 
American economy because of increased trade opportunities flowing 
directly out of NAFTA. We have a 500 percent increase in exports of 
automobile products to Mexico alone in the last year because of NAFTA. 
So while I think this is good for the world and good for our region, I 
want to begin by saying a special thank you, because this agreement and 
the good faith that has been followed in adhering to it has been good 
for the working families of the United States.
    The second thing I would like to do is to say how very proud I am 
that we are welcoming Chile to the NAFTA partnership. This is a country, 
like our three countries, that has benefited from disciplined and 
responsible economic leadership. Chile has high economic growth, low 
inflation, has virtually extinguished its foreign debt, and has done so 
while manifesting the commitment to the labor and environmental 
standards and to the welfare of the people of Chile that are embedded in 
our commitments in NAFTA. So Chile is an ideal partner.
    I think you could see from the comments of the Prime Minister of 
Canada and the President of Mexico, we are actually quite proud to be 
entering this partnership.
    I think, furthermore, that this agreement we announce today will be 
further proof of our intentions, our serious intentions, to complete the 
free trade agreement for all the Americas by 2005. That is what we 
agreed to do in this summit. And this should be evidence that we intend 
to accelerate the process; we intend to keep working.
    And let me say again, on behalf of the United States, NAFTA is a 
good deal for us; it will be a better deal with Chile in it. And we are 
honored, honored to be in partnership with a country that shares our 
values and that has demonstrated that it can succeed by doing the right 
things and doing them well in a free society.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 12:50 p.m. at the James L. Knight Center. 
In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada, 
President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, and President Eduardo Frei of 
Chile.

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