Portrait of Hillary Clinton
Politician · policy
Wikipedia (opens in new tab)

Hillary Clinton on NAFTA

Evolving stance on trade (strong)

TL;DR

Hillary Clinton's view on NAFTA evolved from early support to later promising to renegotiate or strengthen its worker protections.

Key Points

  • As First Lady in 1996, she publicly supported NAFTA, saying it was "proving its worth."

  • In a 2008 campaign press release, she outlined a plan to fix NAFTA by strengthening labor and environmental provisions and changing investment rules.

  • During the 2016 election, some union leaders stated she had privately told them she would renegotiate NAFTA if elected president.

Summary

Hillary Clinton has a complicated and evolving public stance on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was negotiated under her husband's administration. Initially, as First Lady, she championed NAFTA, stating in 1996 that it was "proving its worth," and later as a New York Senator, she maintained it was good for the U.S. "on balance." However, by the time of her 2008 presidential bid, as popular opinion against the deal grew, she shifted, stating that NAFTA had “not lived up to its promises” and proposed a plan to fix it.

Her later position reflected a desire to rework the agreement to better serve American workers, criticizing shortcomings such as weak labor and environmental provisions, which she wanted strengthened and moved into the core text of any such deal. She also targeted NAFTA's investment provisions, which allow foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws in special tribunals. By the 2016 election cycle, while other candidates called for outright rejection or ripping up the deal, her focus remained on renegotiation and demanding better protections for workers and elevating global standards.

Key Quotes

"NAFTA is proving its worth."

"I do believe in trade." "We are five percent of the world's population. We have to trade with the other 95 percent. That has on balance been a net plus for our economy."

"I have said repeatedly that I would like to renegotiate [the agreement]. I think there were parts of it that did not work as hoped for."

Frequently Asked Questions

Hillary Clinton's position on NAFTA has evolved over time, but during her 2016 presidential bid, she repeatedly stated her desire to renegotiate parts of the agreement. She argued that the deal had not fully lived up to its promises, particularly concerning protections for American workers and environmental standards.

Yes, Hillary Clinton's stance on NAFTA has shown a clear evolution since its signing. She was an initial and vocal supporter of the agreement when her husband signed it into law in 1994. Over time, facing pressure from labor groups and a shift in popular opinion, her position moved toward criticizing its outcomes and calling for renegotiation.

As First Lady, Hillary Clinton was a public champion of NAFTA, viewing it as a significant accomplishment of the administration. For instance, in 1996, she stated that the agreement was clearly "proving its worth" for the United States.