White House Won’t Reopen NAFTA

(Barrie McKenna — Globe & Mail)

Official says Obama won’t follow up on election pledge

A whispered assurance from a Barack Obama aide to Canadian diplomats that the future U.S. president would not rip up the North American free-trade agreement has proven prophetic.

Mr. Obama’s top trade official confirmed yesterday that Mr. Obama has no plans to reopen NAFTA to insert tough environmental and labour protections, which he publicly pledged to do during last year’s presidential race.

“The President has said we will look at all of our options, but I think they can be addressed without having to reopen the agreement,” U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk told reporters.

Mr. Kirk made the comments after returning from the weekend Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, where Mr. Obama met privately with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

The three leaders “are all of the mind we should look for opportunities to strengthen NAFTA,” Mr. Kirk said. Read more here.