Do US workers lose their jobs when goods are imported?

美國的員工真的會因為進口貨物而失去他們的工作嗎？

These days everybody seems to be talking about NAFTA.

近年來，大家好像都在聊 NAFTA。

The North American Free Trade Agreement.

北美自由貿易協定。

It is a free trade deal between three countries: Canada, United States and Mexico.

這是由加拿大、美國和墨西哥三個國家所訂定出的自由貿易協定。

It's one of the most significant trade deals Canada has ever signed.

這是加拿大有史以來簽過最重大的貿易協定之一。

It's also at risk of being ripped up by this guy.

但這份協定也處於被這傢伙撕毀的危機。

We have NAFTA which is a total and complete disaster.

我們簽署的北美自由貿易協定是個大災難。

Basically, Trump says NAFTA is a rotten deal for the United States, he wants to fix it or nix it.

基本上，川普說北美自由貿易協定對美國人來說是個不平等的待遇，他要嘛修改它，要嘛拒絕它。

But before we get into all that, let's back it up.

但在我們講那個之前，讓我們來倒帶一下。

The idea of free trade has been kicking around for decades.

自由貿易的概念已經被廣泛討論好幾十年了。

On our strength and growth depends the strength of others, the spread of free world trade and unity.

我們的壯大與成長仰賴著其他力量、自由貿易以及一致性的蔓延。

Even hundreds of years.

甚至存在好幾百年了。

Foreign trade is the key to prosperity.

國際貿易是繁榮的關鍵。

Free trade will bring on a great depression.

自由貿易會導致經濟蕭條。

But by the 1980s people in Canada were pushing for a full-blown free trade deal with the United States.

但在 80 年代，加拿大的人民開始訴求要跟美國簽署全面性的自由貿易協定。

Some worried that free trade with the States would kill jobs in Canada, and even erode our political independence.

有些人擔心跟美國簽署自由貿易會扼殺加拿大的工作機會，甚至腐蝕加拿大政治獨立的立場。

The 1988 federal election was actually fought on this issue.

在 1988 的聯邦選舉就有在爭論這個議題。

The conservative government of Brian Mulroney promised to sign a free trade agreement with the United States.

由 Brian Mulroney 所帶領的保守派政府，答應會與美國簽署自由貿易協定。

I believe that in my own modest way, I am nation building because I believe this benefits Canada and I love Canada.

我相信我是在強化我們的國家，我相信與美國簽署自由貿易協定對於加拿大是很有益的，而且我愛加拿大。

Mulroney won.

Mulroney 贏得了選舉。

Free trade became a thing, and a road was paved for a broader deal that pulled in Mexico.

自由貿易協定也被搬到檯面上，爾後為了更長遠的計劃，墨西哥也加入了。

Thus, six years later NAFTA was born.

六年後，北美自由貿易協定就誕生了。

Fast forward to now.

快轉至現在。

3.5 billion dollars in trade, flows among the three countries every single day.

每天都有 35 億美元以貿易的形式在這三個國家之間流動。

There was more than 750 billion dollars in trade between Canada and the US last year.

去年美國與加拿大之間就有超過 7,500 億的貿易金額。

That makes the US by far Canada's biggest trading partner.

這使美國成為加拿大目前最大的貿易國。

None of this was too controversial until Trump came along.

這些在川普上任前都不具有太大的爭議性。

NAFTA, remember NAFTA what it's done to this country.

北美自由貿易協定，記住這協定對我們國家做了什麼。

He blame NAFTA for gutting US manufacturing, and said American workers were getting ripped off.

川普責怪這個協定扼殺了美國的製造業，還剝削了美國的勞工權益。

True to his word, he wants to renegotiate the deal, and says that if he doesn't like it, the US will pull out.

忠於他的言論，他想重新協調這個協定，並且說如果他不喜歡，美國就會從此退出。

So here we are, renegotiating a trade deal that props up hundreds of billions of dollars in trade each year.

這把我們帶到了現在，重新協調這個每年在貿易中攸關上千億美金的協定。

What can we expect to happen?

我們能夠期許些什麼？

For Canada there are a few sticking points.

對加拿大來說有幾個關鍵。

The Americans want to sell more of their dairy products in Canada, but that would mean tinkering with Canada's long standing measures to protect our dairy industry.

美國想要對加拿大售出更多乳製品，但這代表著這將影響加拿大長久以來力圖保護自己酪農業的措施。

A system called supply management.

一個叫供應管理的系統。

The politicians have repeatedly promised to protect over the years.

也是政治家多年來一直強調會保護的系統。

There's also an American demand to remove an international dispute resolution panel from the agreement.

美國還要求要從合約中去除國際爭議解決小組。

So that US companies claiming them being mistreated can have their cases heard in an American courtroom.

好讓聲稱自己被剝削的美國公司，可以在美國的法院上訴。

It's a complicated thing, but the bottom line is this: The Canadian government doesn't want NAFTA to be killed.

這是很複雜的事件，但簡單來說：加拿大政府不希望終止北美自由貿易協定。

But assuming it survives, what it looks like after this renegotiation, and how that affects the Canadian economy remains to be seen.

但就算其真的存留下來，在重新協商後的協定變得如何，還有這將會如何影響加拿大的經濟，只能由我們繼續觀察。

For the Toronto Star, I'm Alex Ballingall.

我是多倫多星報的 Alex Ballingall。