Signing of NAFTA
On December 17, 1992, the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico gathered in San Antonio, Texas, for a historic moment. President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari stood side by side, poised to sign the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. The air was thick with anticipation as cameras flashed and reporters jostled for position. This landmark treaty promised to create one of the world's largest free trade zones, linking over 450 million people and $21 trillion in goods and services. As the leaders put pen to paper, they set in motion a chain of events that would reshape North American commerce, politics, and society for decades to come.
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