Agreed, but what about low cost Central and South American products.
Look what happen to Dos Pinos. It was a milk brand from Costa Rica. Once DR-CAFTA was in effect for that type of product, they entered the Dominican market to compete with Rica, etc. Everything was made in Costa Rica and imported into the DR. Business was good, but the Corripio's, who were their Dominican partners in the DR, bought more than a few shares of the brand to the point they became the owners of most of the shares of Dos Pinos. Guess what they did after that?
Well, essentially they moved the entire production of Dos Pinos to the DR. Now everything is made in the DR
and whatever is sold in Costa Rica is imported from the DR.
That's how a Costa Ricsan brand becomes Dominicans. Without DR-CAFTA this would had been very unlikely. I'm aure the Costa Rican founders may not be too happy with that move after they becsme owners of most shares, but oh well.
One down, many more Latin American brands that entered the DR due to DR-CAFTA to go...
That's an example of taking a free trade agreement that you know is only better to not having it, but the agreement itself isn't much to your benefit and then making it work. You're given lemons, make lemonade!