Congress passed NAFTA in 1993 with more Republican than Democratic support.84 The treaty Clinton signed created the world’s largest market, valued at an estimated $6 trillion, encompassing more than 365 million people.85 NAFTA eliminated about half of all existing tariff barriers in agriculture, manufacturing, and the service industry, with the goal of phasing out most of the rest over ten to fifteen years. It also sought to eliminate most or all nontariff barriers, such as licensing requirements for trucks crossing the U.S.–Mexico border.
