Pursuing Free Trade
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200005500208 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| Author | Donald Barry |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DONALD
BARRY
Pursuing
free
trade
Canada,
the
western
hemisphere,
and
the
European
Union
IN
RECENT
YEARS,
THE
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT
has
emerged
as
a
lead-
ing
proponent
of
western
hemispheric
trade
liberalization
and
transat-
lantic
free
trade.
Its efforts
to
transform
the
North
American
Free
Trade
Agreement
(NAFTA)
into
a
Free
Trade
Area
of
the
Americas
(FTAA)
and
to
promote
free
trade
between
NAFTA
and
the European
Union
(EU),
however,
have
not
been successful.
Ottawa's ability
to lead
regional
and
inter-regional
initiatives
is
constrained
because
Canada
lacks
the
politi-
cal
and
economic
weight
of
the
major
powers,
whose
support
is
critical
to
bring
such
projects
to
completion. Ottawa
should
continue
to pro-
mote
free
trade,
but
it
should
focus
its
efforts on
broadening
and
strengthening
its
own
relations
within
the hemisphere and
with
Europe.
THE
WESTERN
HEMISPHERE
When
Brian Mulroney's
Progressive
Conservative government
announced
in
1989
that
Canada
would
join
the
Organization
of
American
States,
Canada's
role
in
the
region
was
enhanced. But it
was
Ottawa's decision
the
following
year
to
join
Mexico
and
the
United
States
in
negotiating
NAFTA
that
gave
economic
substance to
Canadian
policy.
The
NAFTA
negotiation
was
the
result
of
Mexico's
decision to
seek
free
trade
with
the
United
States.
The
administration
of
George
Bush
incor-
Professor
of
Political
Science,
University
of
Calgary; co-editor,
with
Ronald C. Keith,
of
Regionalism,
Multilateralism,
and the
Politics
of
Global Trade
(1999).
The
author
wouldlike
to
thank
Mark
Dickerson
and
Christopher
Sands/or
their
helpful
comments on
an
earlier
version
of
this
article.
INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL
Spring
2000
To continue reading
Request your trial