Opinion | FOREIGN AFFAIRS; Worthwhile Canadian Initiative (original) (raw)
Opinion|FOREIGN AFFAIRS; Worthwhile Canadian Initiative
https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/10/opinion/foreign-affairs-worthwhile-canadian-initiative.html
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
- April 10, 1986
Credit...The New York Times Archives
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April 10, 1986
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Canada is asking for negotiations on a free-trade zone with the United States. Few in the U.S. have paid attention, but it is an enormous issue here.
It is a remarkable shift for a country deeply touchy about its sovereignty and its national identity. Opponents argue nationalism as the key reason to maintain protection. Canada would risk being swallowed and homogenized by the U.S., they say.
But advocates turn the same argument around. The idea of abandoning barriers in return for access to the vast U.S. market shows that Canada has gained confidence in the sturdiness of its sovereignty and political will, in their view. They feel Canada can compete, and therefore benefit, not only in terms of industry but also in terms of retaining its own self-consciousness.
Canadian-U.S. relations are a special case in the world, of course, with the long, undefended border and the history of amity. Nonetheless, a free exchange in practically all goods and services would be an important shift in international affairs, a reflection of the way economics is leaping frontiers and tying countries together willy-nilly, despite their myriad arguments.
One part of the controversy here is whether a bilateral agreement would spur or undermine the larger efforts to open up world trade on a multilateral basis. It would be permissible under a special clause in the GATT accord, allowing countries to wipe out barriers between themselves that the rest of the trading community insists on keeping.
At a time when the clamor for protectionism is rising almost everywhere, it could provide a vital push in the opposite direction. This would be particularly true in setting the precedent for including services, something the U.S. has been seeking from GATT for a long time with no success so far.
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