regional integration

Scenario:

You are a middle-level manager with a company that markets a line of personal and fabric care products. The American market for soap and detergent has always been dominated by name brand manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble (TideTM), Colgate-Palmolive (AjaxTM) and CloroxTM. In fact, your market research shows that the American market is saturated with these products. You are convinced that, if your company is to grow in the future, it must aggressively seek international markets.

The company will be sending representatives to a trade conference in Hong Kong in several weeks. You see the conference as an opportunity for your company to expand into the rapidly growing Southeast Asia market. At the very least you hope to be able to identify the countries that have adopted policies that make them receptive to foreign trade and investment; with a little luck, you may even be able to find a good location for a detergent plant that your company wants to build in the region.

In addition, your company is considering plans to purchase an interest in retail store chains in one or more of the European Union (EU) nations. But before senior managers are prepared to consider the investment, they would like to look at how other American companies have fared when buying European retail chains.

You asked senior management to allow you to assume the role of international marketing strategist and they granted your request. Now, you need to research, analyze and present international marketing opportunities for your company.

Task -

In 1994, when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico and the United States went into effect some politicians and economists predicted that it would result in the wholesale loss of American jobs to Mexico.

Discuss the effect NAFTA has on trade between the three member nations in the years since it was adopted? Then talk about the success or failure of the Agreement