The subject
A proposal to connect trade, manufacturing, affordability, and legal worker mobility through a phased common market across the Americas. It examines industrial supply chains, agriculture, entry standards, and the costs of transition.
Publication context
Published in An Appalachian Perspective. The essay proposes expanding from the USMCA framework through qualified membership and staged integration, while retaining national sovereignty. It weighs potential gains against adjustment costs for producers and the need for enforceable rules of origin. The central questions are which countries qualify, how producers adjust, and what enforceable rules would make integration workable.
Original publication: Why Stop at North America? Build a Common Market of the Americas, Substack, August 25, 2026. The date identifies the original article; this reading note does not republish or update its full text.
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