Aftermarket trade groups defend NAFTA benefits

SAN ANTONIO — The heads of the automotive aftermarket trade groups in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. met recently in San Antonio and "reaffirmed a unified commitment" to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to the Auto Care Association (ACA), which hosted the meeting.

The heads of the three groups — Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) and Asociación Nacional de Representantes, Importadores y Distribuidores de Refacciones y Accesorios para Automóviles, A.C. (ARIDRA) and the ACA — met during the ACA's Spring Leadership Days in San Antonio in early May.

The meeting included a discussion of NAFTA trade benefits for the automotive industry in each of the three countries, and potential consequences of withdrawal or renegotiation of the agreement.

The leaders cautioned that any changes to NAFTA could disrupt tightly-integrated supply chains, thereby increasing production costs and affecting job growth, the ACA said.

The close geographic proximity of the NAFTA countries allows aftermarket suppliers and distributors to integrate supply chains and increase the flow of goods efficiently by treating the three countries as a single market. The agreement has been economically beneficial to the aftermarket in all participating countries by permitting duty-free access to the three NAFTA markets.

The trade groups also shared information about their respective programs and identified areas of collaboration, including increased access to market research, education programs, trade promotion activities and technology initiatives.

AIA Canada represents the automotive aftermarket supply and service chain in Canada. ARIDRA represents manufacturers, representatives, importers and distributors of automotive parts and accessories in Mexico.