McCain: Friend of Canada

Canada has a good friend in John McCain. It is significant that he made a trip to Ottawa in advance of the November election to reiterate his support for NAFTA and more broadly for the close relationship between Canada and the United States that is so important for the economies, security, and culture of both nations.

McCain stated in Ottawa, "In Michigan alone, 221,000 jobs are supported by trade with Canada. NAFTA countries comprise by far the largest export market for Michigan manufacturers. Last year, Michigan businesses sent more than $23 billion of exports to Canada, more than 20 times the total of their exports to China."(Detroit FP)

Obama may be changing his position on NAFTA as the election moves nearer, but his waffling and protectionist rhetoric and protectionist votes on the FTAA and the US-Columbia free trade deal are worrying. Obama's trade policies are of the past and do not reflect the reality of a global market with increasing 'interconnectedness'.

What is needed is the cooperative work of partners to reduce the burden of complying with NAFTA's rules of origin and to reduce border delays so they do not become impediments to trade or the equivalent of a tariff. Perhaps most of all, those who would lead our countries must work to ensure that the benefits of NAFTA are understood throughout our countries, and not jeopardized through "cowboy diplomacy."

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama does not understand this. He has called NAFTA "devastating" and "a big mistake," characterizations that are out of touch with the reality of NAFTA in Michigan. What truly would be devastating is to jeopardize the trade expansion of NAFTA through a misguided, isolationist impulse that would inevitably and understandably alienate a key partner like Canada.(McCain speech, Ibid)

When it comes to the bilateral relationship with the US, McCain is certainly the better friend of Canada.