Scuttle Thy Neighbors

NEVER LET IT BE SAID THAT MICKEY KANTOR LACKS OPTImism. After two days of talks in Washington last week to wrap up loose ends of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Kantor emerged with his fellow trade representatives from Mexico and Canada and claimed that progress had been satisfactory. He predicted that side accords to safeguard the environment and workers' rights, both critical to the treaty's approval in the U.S. Senate, would be concluded soon.

If he's right, NAFTA, designed to dismantle virtually all trade barriers between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, could go into effect as planned on Jan. 1,...