I recently heard from a good friend from my days in Canada’s Foreign Service (he is an Ambassador serving in the Asia Pacific region) He told me that he had heard my recent interview on free trade. This made me think that it might be worth sharing. In any event, late last year, my partner Gordon LaFortune and I were interviewed by Jackie Northam of National Public Radio (NPR). Ms. Northam made the trip up to Ottawa from her post in Washington DC to discuss the then upcoming 20th anniversary of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and to record our views for her “All Things Considered” radio program. As it turned out, it was also the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Canada – U.S. Free Trade Agreement (commonly known as the “FTA”). Gord and I spent a delightful couple of hours with our quest at the Rideau Club looking out at the historic Parliament Buildings against the backdrop of a clear bright wintery day in the nation’s capital. There was plenty to discuss and several great memories. The report is available in both print and audio format, as well as on this website: www.npr.org
Ms. Northam also interviewed a number of others and started her report on the difference that free trade agreements had made for one of Canada’s leaders in international business, Bombardier. As she noted, we were there at the “ground floor’’ as trade negotiators for the Government of Canada when our country decided to pursue free trade with our closest neighbours, the US. Gord and I spoke of the “fear of the unknown”, the need to step up and the need to show that we could be competitive. And so, we relived the great national debate with our guest. Now 25 years later, we can reflect on the FTA and NAFTA legacy. Of course the topic of free trade continues to engender much debate. The consideration of how much GDP growth in the “Three Amigos” and the tripling of trade flows in the last two decades being due to NAFTA is a subject for a much more detailed review. It is clear that the North American countries have built and continue to build and highly integrated market which, at a size of almost $ 20 Trillion, and with over 460 million consumers, is the world’s largest trade block. In fact, NAFTA accounts for one quarter of the world’s economy.
With the news that Canada and Mexico have joined the United States in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and the agreement in principle Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) last year, the trade agreement business that Gord and I first worked on a quarter of a century ago remains far from complete. We have both had the good fortune to be FTA and NAFTA lawyers from the start and continue to represent clients in the matter, helping them navigate and leverage the dozen existing (and 15 on the drawing board) FTAs as well as the almost 50 Foreign Investment Protection Agreements in place or being negotiated.
Gord and I were quite honoured to be the trade lawyers that PBS called on with respect to this important subject. We are preparing a series of notes and comments for publication on our Woods. LaFortune LLP on international trade with a focus on free trade negotiations and the implications. We would be happy to hear from you on your views on trade negotiations and any other areas of particular interest. Stay tuned!
