Today in History: NAFTA Negotiations Finish

Twenty-two years ago today, negotiators from the United States, Mexico and Canada wrapped up talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement between the three countries, creating the world's largest trade bloc.

While the economic pact is remembered primarily as a legacy of the Clinton administration, talks between the three nations actually began during President Reagan's second term.

In 1987, Reagan addressed the White House press corps to express his support for an agreement and warned about the dangers of economic protectionism. Congress first addressed the issue later that year, hosting a symposium on the ongoing talks that first started between the U.S. and Canada.

Congress held numerous hearings on the pending pact, which raised numerous environmental and labor concerns not only in the U.S., but in Canada's Parliament as well.

While President George H.W. Bush spent much of his time in office pressing Congress to fast-track legislation related to the trade agreement, it wasn't until President Clinton took over the White House that the agreement was signed. Three former presidents -- Bush, Carter, and Ford -- joined Clinton at the signing ceremony. C-SPAN later moderated a 1993 discussion on the expected outcome of NAFTA, which took effect Jan. 1, 2014.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the agreement's going into effect, the Center for Strategic and International Studies gathered former U.S. trade representatives in December 2013 to discuss the agreement. In February, economists Gary Hufbauer and Robert Scott joined Washington Journal to discuss NAFTA's legacy.