Wednesday, April 26, 2017

A Peanut's History of N.A.F.T.A.

Canada and the United States of America signed the North American Free Trade Agreement which started swinging in 1994.

I remember there was some anxiety on this side of the border by some folk who were not so sure the agreement would be a good thing for this great country. Canadians are naturally conservative about some issues, and it made sense that signing such an affecting and encompassing document should concern some of us; including me.

As things turned out NAFTA was a good thing, for both nations.

President Donald Trump and his magnificent internal reactionary forces are making noises about wanting to pull out of the agreement altogether.

One of my strongest memories on the issue of whether or not Canada should sign the agreement is this one: A certain U.S. politician, I've forgotten who it was, reacted to the apprehension of Canadians with a direct "... you don't get another chance."

It seems that Donald Trump wants another chance....


2 comments:

DonaldAR said...

As it turns out, NAFTA worked out much better for the U.S. - especially when they (frequently) interpreted it in their favour. I seem to recall softwood lumber tariffs never actually being rescinded, and the matter being in court for the better part of a decade?
One might also mention all the manufacturing jobs, e.g., auto parts companies, that migrated to Mexico, especially from smaller urban centres in Canada.
Ever been in a vehicle assembled in Mexico? Make sure your roadside assistance is active, and you insurance is current!

Simon St. Laurent said...

Yeah, once Mexico signed on....

The softwood tariffs bit is a problem. As I seem to remember, Bush Jr. and his boys paid everything that was owing to Canada except one billion dollars.

You are right.

Business writer Diane Francis said much the same thing: as long as 'it' favours "them".

Thanks for the notes!