NAFTA: Mend It, Don't End It

 From NAFTA Mend it, Don't End it:

As Canada readies for a massive free-trade negotiation - perhaps starting as early as Oct. 17 - many hope the talks between Canadian and European officials could eventually result in a wide-ranging agreement. Such an EU-Canada agreement could even exceed NAFTA's scope by guaranteeing the free movement of skilled labour, free exchange of services and competitive public procurement.

While those of us who support trade liberalization welcome these latest efforts with the EU, it is worth recalling that Canada-U.S. trade and investment remains our most significant economic relationship, and that Canada remains the top trading partner of the United States. It is vital for our two countries to update and strengthen this key relationship.

The North American free-trade agreement needs improvement. After all, the text is 15 years old and the world has changed since 1993, when the deal was sealed. While some politicians may argue otherwise, NAFTA has been very good for Canadians and Americans and will continue to anchor our economies. But Canada also needs to focus, without fear, on updating this increasingly "tired" agreement...

...How then to reform and update NAFTA? Canada should offer an agenda with a focus on matters where the incentives on both sides suggest co-operation: energy, water, climate change and upgrading the environment and labour side accords. Working together, the two countries can significantly advance the agenda in each of these areas.

To be sure, in each area, domestic opposition will arise. Water, for example, has long sparked Canadian fears of bulk exports and Canadian officials have been reluctant to raise the issue bilaterally. Clearly, bulk water exports from Canada should be prohibited, but a collaborative project on water management could enhance water resources on both sides of the border. Also, ample room exists for an accord that would meaningfully contribute to North American energy security, and the same can be said of measures to control greenhouse gas emissions...

Full article: 

 From NAFTA Mend it, Don't End it