Alec Stapp points out that Canada is the only NATO country to have a free trade agreement with the United States. It’s pretty remarkable if you think about it. NATO allies are bound by mutual defense commitments, support for military cooperation and a commitment to democratic principles. Despite these shared commitments, the United States continues to impose tariffs and quotas on our NATO allies, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Portugal and Spain . It’s like getting married and not having a joint checking account. If they are good enough partners to commit to their defense, then surely NATO allies are good enough partners to commit to free trade?
Free trade strengthens the economic strength of countries and should therefore be a strategic asset in self-defense. Let’s be rich and safe together.
There are many reasons to enter into free trade agreements with countries with which we do not have a defense agreement, but free trade with free nations should be a minimum standard. Of course, it’s not just the United States: not all NATO allies have free trade agreements with other NATO members. So how about a North Atlantic Trade Organization? We could call it NATO for short.
