WEST POINT -- This small town of 3,700 on the Alabama border is emblematic of the way international trade has helped shape many communities — for better or for worse.
Once home to a thriving textile sector, West Point suffered when most of its mills shuttered. But the tariff-cutting North American Free Trade Agreement — NAFTA — also helped spur new factories, including a 3,000-worker auto assembly plant churning out Kia vehicles.
That leaves some Georgians cheering the idea of change — or even an end — to NAFTA, hoping revisions could repair the damage done. It also spurs fears by those who say the deal has been good overall to the state.
The question is not theoretical. President Donald Trump is mulling whether to stay in the 23-year-old agreement, renegotiate it or rip it up entirely. Ending the current agreement could have a profound impact on Georgia’s economy, which good or bad has reorganized itself around the deal, from its agriculture sector to manufacturing and logistics....
Read the whole story on Politically Georgia: In Georgia, NAFTA has hurt some while lifting others
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.
