Canada Told to De-emphasize NAFTA

(UPI.com)

Canada must avoid discussing the North American Free Trade Agreement in advancing its U.S. trade interests, a U.S. professor wrote for a business group Monday.

“Ottawa needs a new approach to discussing Canada-U.S. trade – one that avoids direct mention of NAFTA,” Georgetown University international business diplomacy professor Marc Busch wrote for the Conference Board of Canada. “NAFTA is associated with the job losses to Mexico, with its lower wage rates,” Busch said in “The Perfect (Anti-Trade) Storm? Recession, the November U.S. Elections, and What It All Means for Canada.”

“In contrast, Americans see trade with Canada as similar to trading with North Dakota,” Busch’s report said. “By emphasizing the bilateral trade relationship instead of NAFTA itself, Canada can benefit from the fact that Americans do not perceive Canadian trade as a threat.” Read more here.