In 1998, the Canadian Magazine Publisher's Association (CMPA) predicted the demise of many Canadian magazines because the World Trade Organization (WTO) made it legal for U.S. publishers to introduce product into the Canadian market, without incurring the start-up costs involved in launching a new magazine. By using split-run magazines (modifying the U.S. edition so they contain Canadian ads), U.S. magazine publishers could offer lower rates to advertiser and sell the magazines for less money than Canadian publishers could. According to the CMPA, the U.S. magazine publishers would be engaged in: