However, that is NOT all there is to it, and you know this perfectly well. Actual free trade agreements would have the very nearly immediate effect of increasing the number and variety of available goods. This agreement has had no such effect, to my observation (based principally on retail shops in Playa Coronado and Ciudad Panama).
The only product -- only the one -- where I have seen new product entries is, oddly enough, pie shells. (?!?) Keebler are now marketing their product(s) to a limited extent.
Electronics? No. Household goods, kitchen items? Not a chance. Dairy products? You're kidding, right -- checked the prices of import cheeses recently? At least we've Toledano Farms right near El Valle, where eggs are very reasonable (and excellent quality, btw). I'll have to check out their cheeses next visit.
Priced dill pickles recently? They're ridiculously high, the more so because cukes are so cheap here. So, I've taken to growing my own dill -- let's face it, making pickles is simply NOT difficult, eh. Have you noted that you can find all the Spanish brands of olives you want...but hardly any Italian or US olives? Have you noticed that paper products -- easily 30% or more above comparable products in other nations -- have stayed exactly where they were. Where are Scott's or Tiger's brands, eh?
"Free trade", my backside.
that is NOT all there is to it,
We agree that we're talking about import taxes (even though it's not all there is to it) and we understand that I want lower taxes and I understand you disagree with me on something but you don't want to answer my question. So even though I'm still not following your thinking we have come quite a ways here.