NAFTA Must Stay Intact, Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Warns Against Protectionism

(The Canadian Press – Lauren Krugel)

The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Canada says he expects the North American Free Trade Agreement to stay intact once the new Democratic administration takes power, despite worries earlier this year that the pact could be reopened under Barack Obama.

Obama, who is set to take office on January 20, had mused about reopening NAFTA during the presidential primaries, spurring a great deal of furor north of the border.

But any talk of tearing up the trade pact during was likely just “campaign rhetoric,” David Wilkins told a Calgary business audience Wednesday. Once the Obama administration “gets all the facts and figures, it understand that NAFTA is simply too beneficial to Canadians and Americans to try to unilaterally renegotiate our withdrawal and will continue to support it very strongly,” he said.

Wilkins, a staunch supporter of President George W. Bush., was appointed ambassador to Canada in June 2005. Addressing a luncheon hosted by Calgary Economic Development as part of his farewell tour, Wilkins touted Canada’s integral role in America’s energy security.

“It is Canada, not the Middle East, that is the United States’ No. 1 foreign supplier of oil, natural gas and uranium,” he said. “And in our troubled world, it’s a good thing to have our closest friend and ally producing and providing a major portion of our energy needs.”

Wilkins acknowledges environmental concerns over the oilsands need to be addressed. “I think it’s important for Canada and for Alberta to be proactive and to get its message out and to emphasize pro-environmental steps it’s taken up here,” he said. Read the rest here.