Obama seeks to square circle on globalisation - Financial Times

By Edward Luce in Washington

Published: June 26 2008 20:01 | Last updated: June 26 2008 20:01

A Barack Obama administration would mark a “break” from the US trade policies of the last few years and push for agreements that would help overcome America’s growing scepticism towards globalisation, says Jason Furman, Mr Obama’s economic policy director.

Many observers have expressed concern about Mr Obama’s fealty to existing trade deals, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he has promised to renegotiate to improve its labour and environmental protections.

Both Canada and Mexico, America’s Nafta partners, have signalled anxiety about Mr Obama’s pledge to re-open the deal. But Mr Furman, a former Clinton administration official who joined the Obama campaign earlier this month, insisted that Mr Obama was “a free trader” who was “firmly committed to the multilateral trading system”. (Continued)