Trade shocks and rising deaths

This study examines the long-term health impacts of NAFTA-driven economic shocks on American communities. In areas highly exposed to trade liberalization, mortality rates among adults aged 25–55 significantly increased, particularly among white populations. Deaths rose due to infectious disease, cancer, heart disease, and suicide, but not from external causes or “deaths of despair.” These areas also saw drops in income, employment, housing values, and health insurance coverage. While public assistance use increased, it wasn’t enough to offset the health consequences of economic decline.