NAFTA-gate Expands

Here are a couple substantive items.

First, what is rapidly becoming known as NAFTA-gate is spreading. Now there are questions about whether Hillary Clinton's people had contact with Canada to reassure that Country about her commitment to NAFTA. At the same time, it appears that Canada does not think that renegotiating is completely out of the question. What, exactly, would be on the table is the question. For example, would Canada leverage its status as an energy exporter to the U.S? Would the U.S. raise the topic of the exemptions for cultural industries?

Of course, as a practical matter, Canada is not the "problem." People who complain about NAFTA tend to complain about Mexico and the perceived lack of labor and environmental enforcement. Will Mexico accept a NAFTA with actual labor and environmental standards built into it and subject to dispute resolution? That's a big question.

Here are some articles on the topic:

US Election Clinton campaign denies NAFTA report

NAFTA Not What It Used to Be

Talk of Opt-Out Dangerous Nonsense

And, as long as I am spreading news, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced its plans to place inspectors at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Here is the notice.

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