Bill Clinton: “I believe the treaty has to have some enforcement provisions. I have not read the last language, but it is my…”

“I believe the treaty has to have some enforcement provisions. I have not read the last language, but it is my understanding that what the negotiators are working toward is some sort of sanctions for repeated and persistent violations of agreements that the countries involved in NAFTA make. I don't think any of us should make agreements and expect there to be no consequences to their repeated and persistent violation. But I want to say again, I believe that increased trade with Mexico and NAFTA are in the interest of the United States. The Salinas government, through the unilateral reduction of their own tariffs, has helped to take the United States--and through policies that promoted economic growth, beginning with getting control of their deficit--has taken the United States from a $6-billion trade deficit with Mexico to a $5-billion trade surplus. Mexico just surpassed Japan as our second biggest trading customer for manufactured products. So I think that it's very much in our interest to pass NAFTA, and I hope I'll be able to persuade the Congress to do it when we conclude the agreement.”