Kay Bailey Hutchison: “we have probably the best relations with Mexico than we have had in this country in a long, long time. I think NAFTA has…”

“we have probably the best relations with Mexico than we have had in this country in a long, long time. I think NAFTA has added to the good will and the trade between our nations. But there is one part of our trade relationship that is not at parity and is not in the spirit of NAFTA, and that is the exemptions for personal goods or for buying when you are on the border between Mexico and the United States. As a matter of fact, there is not parity in the exemption, and I think that is against the spirit of NAFTA. I am hoping that we will be able to change that, and that is what my amendment will attempt to do. The amendment is very simple. It directs the U.S. Trade Representative and the Secretary of the Treasury to begin discussions with their counterparts in Mexico to achieve parity in the duty-free allowance structure of all of our NAFTA countries, and the concern is between Mexico and the United States.”