A New NAFTA Could Cure Disease
By Charles Boustany
American, Canadian, and Mexican trade negotiators will soon begin the eighth round of negotiations to hash out a new North American Free Trade Agreement.
Several contentious issues remain unresolved. One of the biggest sticking points is the strength of intellectual property protections, such as patents and copyrights.
The Canadians and Mexicans oppose strong intellectual property rights. They claim that such protections inflate the price of drugs, thereby restricting patients' access to medicines.