Bush, Harper, Calderon to Defend Trade Amid Backlash in U.S.

They will have some jambalaya, eat some gumbo and send the right signals, but don't expect much,'' said Michael Hart, a political science professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

One goal is to harmonize standards in areas such as fuel efficiency and automobile testing, Dan Fisk, director for Western Hemisphere affairs on Bush's National Security Council, told reporters on April 18. The focus is on autos, because many parts are made in Canada and Mexico.

Wal-Mart, Home Depot

A business advisory group made up of executives from Wal- Mart Stores Inc., Ford Motor Co. and Home Depot Inc., which all have major operations in Mexico and Canada, will meet with the leaders tomorrow.

Bush, Calderon and Harper will also seek greater cooperation on protecting intellectual property and seizing fake products, Fisk said.

In the U.S., the loss of jobs due to international competition has become an issue in this year's presidential election campaign as Republican Bush comes to the end of his presidency. The Democratic presidential candidates are squabbling over who dislikes Nafta more, and Congress voted to delay consideration of a similar trade accord with Colombia.

Clinton Versus Clinton

While campaigning in Pittsburgh last week, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York renewed her pledge to renegotiate Nafta to beef up labor standards and environmental protection provisions, and took a swipe at her husband Bill Clinton for pushing the pact through Congress.

``As smart as my husband is, he does make mistakes,'' Clinton said April 14. ``We've now had 15 years of experience with Nafta, and the evidence is clear that we have to change the basic provisions.''