lock in

[unpakwon]

What does "lock in" mean in the following context?

Lock-in reform
Regional agreements tend to lock in reforms. This is demonstrated by Mexico's response to the 1994 Mexican debt crisis as they reduced tariffs within NAFTA, a very different response from 1982 when Mexico increased tariffs substantially.

Thank you.

 

[GoesStation]

It's difficult to reverse rules that have been locked in.

 

[unpakwon]

It's difficult to reverse rules that have been locked in.

Thanks for the answer.

Do you mean "regional agreements tend to make reforms keep going without being reversed"?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes.

 

[Tdol]

Yes, because the country has restricted its ability to change the reform because of the agreement.