ABSTRACT
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has ushered in a new era in Canadian-U.S.-Mexican relations, adding a trilateral dimension to relations that were previously managed on a bilateral basis. The root of Canadian and Mexican opposition was their traditional sense of insecurity their superpower neighbor. Canada’s limited economic links with Mexico provided little incentive to join the talks; nor was the government anxious to reignite the divisive domestic debate that had accompanied Canada–U.S. Free Trade Agreement. In an effort to shore up support for NAFTA, President Clinton announced that his administration would seek supplementary agreements on the environment, labor, and import surges. NAFTA faced an uphill battle in Congress, but the president ultimately prevailed, winning a dramatic come from behind victory in a crucial vote in the House of Representatives on November 17, 1993. The search for more reliable sources focused attention on Canadian and Mexican oil and gas and Canada’s hydroelectric power.
