Which of the following agreements focuses on worker protections in manufacturing?

The correct choice is NAFTA because it specifically included provisions aimed at protecting labor rights in the manufacturing sector, particularly in its side agreements. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect in 1994, established trade relationships between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and recognized the need to address labor issues as part of fostering economic cooperation among the member countries.

The labor side agreement, known as the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), aimed to improve working conditions and safeguard the rights of workers involved in manufacturing and other sectors. This emphasized the importance of labor standards and protections to ensure fair treatment while also promoting trade.

Other agreements mentioned do not specifically center on worker protections in manufacturing. For example, Mercosur primarily deals with economic integration in South America without a direct focus on labor standards. ASEAN is more concerned with political and economic cooperation within Southeast Asia and has varying labor regulations that aren’t as comprehensively articulated as those in NAFTA. The World Trade Organization (WTO) focuses on trade regulations and agreements between countries but does not specifically address labor protections at the same detailed level as NAFTA's labor side agreements.