Candidates' vows to alter NAFTA may not hold up - By James O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
While both Democrats have said they favor trade in general and recognize the realities of an increasingly globalized economy, their debate statements Tuesday irked at least some trading partners. The Toronto Star reported that the Canadian Trade Minister said that a NAFTA revision could entail costs as well as benefits to the United States, and that those costs could include a loss of open U.S. access to Canada's energy.
'Knowledgeable observers would have to take note of the fact that we are the largest supplier of energy to the U.S. and NAFTA has been the foundation for integrating the North American energy market,'' David Emerson said in the Star report. 'When people get below the rhetoric and pick away at the details, they are going to find it's not such a slam dunk proposition.''