President Signs U.S.-Canada Free Trade Measure

President Reagan today signed the U.S.-Canada free trade implementation measure into law, saying the agreement “tears down the tariff wall” between the two nations and establishes the “world’s largest free trade zone.”

In a Rose Garden ceremony at which the national anthems of both countries were played, Reagan said, “This is a moment future historians will cite as a landmark, a turning point.”

“I am signing into law the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Implementation Act,” he said, “which means a stronger freer marketplace for the United States and Canada.”

Reagan noted that his signing of the bill was “in contrast” to his veto earlier in the day of the textile bill, which he claimed was “protectionism at its worst.”