Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has put forward the outlines of his vision for trade, which he calls the "Reagan Zone Of Economic Freedom" (hat tip to Eyes on Trade). One aspect is the following:
Starting with a core of U.S. free trade agreement partners, Governor Romney would seek to bring together nations committed to open markets and playing by the rules in the largest ever Free Trade Area, and go beyond traditional trade to promote high standards in areas critical to U.S. competitiveness. (emphasis added)
This idea of "going beyond traditional trade" and promoting international standards strikes me as walking a fine line. While business groups might like this, I wonder how it will play to conservatives more generally, who are often concerned with the impact of trade on sovereignty. It's hard to say too much based on these very general statements, but it will be interesting to see if Romney gives some more details on his proposal at some point.