That strategy included a fundamental commitment to free trade — opening the large U.S. market to products from all over the world. But overall, the United States remained committed to a broad strategy of free trade — relying on market forces and competition to determine outcomes. The original North American Free Trade Agreement, which passed the House in 1993 by a margin of only 34 votes, highlighted the political unease about trade. The final trade agreement came with the support of organized labor’s main umbrella group and most business groups — rare for a trade deal under any circumstances. But even then, trade policy was about much more than that.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 19, 2019 21:24 UTC