North American Legislators: Renegotiate NAFTA

Time to Renegotiate NAFTA, Not Expand It
By Representative Marcy Kaptur (United States), Senator Yeidckol Polevnsky (Mexico), and Peter Julian, Member of Canadian Parliament

When President Bush meets his counterparts Felipe Calderon of Mexico and Stephen Harper of Canada in New Orleans this week for the fourth summit of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), NAFTA itself will not be on the agenda. Nevertheless, the reinvigorated debate over that landmark trade and investment deal in our three countries—which became highly visible during the recent dust up between Prime Minister Harper’s office and both U.S. Democratic presidential candidates—ensures that it will be an elephant in the room.

Rather than attempting to handcuff the new administration and the people of our three countries to NAFTA-plus, it is time to chart a fair trade future for North America that fosters democratic governance, growing economies, rising standards of living for all, and puts the interests of working people and the environment over those of global corporations.

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur represents Ohio’s 9th District and is the sponsor of a recently introduced congressional resolution calling for NAFTA’s renegotiation. Yeidckol Polevnsky Gurwitz is the vice president of the Mexican Senate and former president of Canacintra, Latin America’s largest chamber of commerce. Peter Julian represents Burnaby-New Westminster, British Columbia in the Canadian Parliament and is a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade. Together the three are leading a tri-national legislative task force that seeks the renegotiation of NAFTA.

See full article online here.

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