The furore stems from a meeting between Austan Goolsbee, Mr Obama’s senior economic adviser, and officials at the Candian consulate in Chicago last month.
In a summary of the meeting, a Canadian diplomat wrote that Mr Goolsbee “acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign”.
“He cautioned that this messaging should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans,” said the memo, which was obtained by the Associated Press.
In a televised debate last week, Mr Obama vowed to push for renegotiation of Nafta and threatened to withdraw from the agreement if Canada and Mexico refused.
Obama promised this, but then told Canada it wasn't going to happen it was just election talk.
https://www.ft.com/content/8a7bb920-e97b-11dc-8365-0000779fd2ac