NAFTA 2..0: Whither the cultural exemption?
| Date | 01 December 2017 |
| Author | Patricia M. Goff |
| Published date | 01 December 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702017740160 |
| Subject Matter | Policy Briefs |
Policy Brief
NAFTA 2.0: Whither the
cultural exemption?
Patricia M. Goff
Political Science Department, Wilfrid Laurier University,
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
The North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation has created uncertainty
around a number of provisions, including the cultural exemption. I argue that
Canadian government advocacy of a cultural exemption will take place in a new context
due to the approaches they have favoured in recent trade agreement negotiations, and
to economic shifts driven by digital technologies.
Keywords
NAFTA, trade, cultural diversity, cultural exemption, Canada
Throughout the 2016 campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump repeatedly
characterized the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a bad
deal for the United States. Not long after he took office, he vowed to renegotiate
the trade pact, officially notifying Congress of his intention on 18 May 2017. Talks
started on 16 August 2017. Many, including the Canadian government, claimed to
welcome the renegotiation, noting that NAFTA, in some respects, is outdated: in
the 23 years since it took effect, many things have changed. New talks present
the opportunity to reflect these changes, necessitating some new chapters in a
renegotiated agreement. These changes may also have consequences for existing
provisions. I focus on one specific issue here.
In this policy brief, I ask, ‘‘How might the economic and political changes that
have occurred in the last two decades affect the cultural exemption that Canada
negotiated in NAFTA?’’ The threat that economic openness poses to cultural
diversity was a central debate in NAFTA (and in its precursor, the Canada–US
Free Trade Agreement [CUSFTA]).
1
It might be on the agenda again. Despite the
International Journal
2017, Vol. 72(4) 563–571
!The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0020702017740160
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Corresponding author:
Patricia M. Goff, Wilfrid Laurier University, Political Science, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo,
Ontario, N2L 3C5, Canada.
Email: pgoff@wlu.ca
1. Patricia M. Goff, Limits to Liberalization: Local Culture in a Global Marketplace (Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press, 2006).
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