What is the role of NAFTA in Canadian exports of oil & gas?
Steven Shrybman: One of the things that distinguishes NAFTA from the World Trade Organization agreements is that it includes a chapter that deals explicitly with energy. And the basic rules of trade as they apply to energy in the NAFTA context is that the US is entitled to unlimited access to Canadian natural gas and oil resources at the same price that those resources are made available in Canada and the form in which that’s given expression by NAFTA is to impose a ban on government measures. Measures under trade agreements include policy, laws, programs, regulations, any government measure that imposes to restrain export growth to the Unites States, or that seeks to impose an export tax on oil and gas resources that head to the United States. It’s also significant to appreciate that under WTO rules the tool of using tariffs to control the flow of resources or goods across boarders is permitted. Under NAFTA it isn’t and that’s the distinction between the two regimes. So under NAFTA we
