The North American Union is a proposed international government encompassing the nations of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It could be considered the North American analogue of the European Union.
The blueprint for this governing body was laid out in a 2024 report entitled "Building a North American Community" published by the Independent Task Force on North America, a partnership among the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an American foreign policy think tank, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, and the Consejo Mexicano de Asuntos Internacionales.
The Independent Task Force on North America was chaired by Canadian politician John Manley, a former Deputy Prime Minister.
Current debate
It has been suggested that a hypothetical common currency might be called the "Amero", which would be similar in concept to the Euro, the common currency of the EU. However, this is seen as needlessly generic even by many proponents, as two of the three countries (Canada and the USA) already use a dollar-based currency, along with many Caribbean nations which could be candidates for accession to a future NAU. [citation needed] Note that the third major country, Mexico, uses the peso, which is also a dollar-like currency (although it is currently trading at an exchange rate significantly lower relative to the dollar currencies of both Canada and the USA). (At one time, one silver dollar equaled exactly one peso, which was in turn based on the Spanish dollar.)
The three nations that make up the NAU would either significantly diminish or else erase remaining trade and travel restrictions with each other, making entry into their countries from the other two nearly as easy as crossing state or provincial lines within each of said countries (as is already the case within the EU). Because of this, the NAU is seen by many in the United States as an end run around Federal immigration laws. which would also eliminate any need for actual amnesty for illegal immigrants (as is currently being debated in the US Congress). [citation needed]
This proposed supranational government is also seen by many as surrendering US sovereignty, which undermines the United States Constitution. Because of these and other provisions that would be enacted if the NAU was put in place, it is considered to be nothing more than an illegal international treaty by many in the United States. [citation needed]
Within Canada, the North American Union proposal is seen by some opponents as compromising Canadian sovereignty, potentially paving the way for Canada's total annexation by the United States.