While Canada and Mexico are likely to accept some of the USTR’s terms, others will almost certainly prove controversial — many for the wrong reasons. That’s not a bug, it’s a feature of free trade, and it’s not a reality U.S. negotiators can just wave away. Such changes would get us a little closer to what genuinely “free” trade means. Ottawa talks a good game on free trade, but if history’s any guide, it’s not about to sacrifice these special interest groups on the free trade altar. But we do note that there are two important distinguishing factors at play in NAFTA 2.0: transparency and a highly engaged electorate.

Source: National Post July 21, 2017 19:52 UTC