Meaning & use
NAFTA
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A 1994 trade agreement that removed most tariffs between the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Grammar: Used as a name, so it takes no article: NAFTA was signed in 1994.
Patterns
- NAFTA was signed
- under NAFTA
- members of NAFTA
NAFTA was signed in 1994 and created one of the world's largest free-trade zones.
Under NAFTA, many goods could cross the border without tariffs.
Critics said NAFTA hurt some factory workers in the United States.
proper nounproper
The group of countries that joined this agreement, seen as a single trading area.
Grammar: Often used after 'in' or 'within' to mean the region: trade within NAFTA.
Patterns
- within NAFTA
- trade within NAFTA
- NAFTA countries
Trade within NAFTA grew quickly in the 1990s.
The three NAFTA countries meet regularly to discuss trade.
Mexico became a key manufacturing center within NAFTA.
Common combinations
- NAFTA agreement
- The NAFTA agreement changed the rules for cars and trucks.
- under NAFTA
- Under NAFTA, farmers could sell corn across the border more easily.
- NAFTA negotiations
- The NAFTA negotiations lasted several years.
- NAFTA countries
- The NAFTA countries are the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- replace NAFTA
- The new deal was meant to replace NAFTA.
Synonyms and how they differ
- USMCA
- Use USMCA for the agreement that replaced NAFTA in 2020; it covers largely the same countries.
- free-trade agreement
- This is the general term; NAFTA is the specific name of one such agreement.
Commonly confused: NAFTA or NAFTA vs. USMCA?
NAFTA vs NAFTA vs. USMCA
NAFTA was the original 1994 deal; USMCA is the updated version that took its place in 2020.
Practice
Which sentence uses NAFTA correctly?
Choose one answer.
NAFTA is a proper noun and takes no article: NAFTA was signed. The other options wrongly add 'the' or 'a', or make it plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “NAFTA”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.