After the former Illinois senator takes over the oval office on January 20, 2009, economists around the world will be watching to see whether Barack Obama will continue to open the American economy to global trade or follow outdated protectionist policies as a way to combat the U.S. financial crisis.

On the campaign trail, Obama expressed his desire to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to better protect the interests of American workers. The protectionist tone of these speeches galvanized trading block partners Canada and Mexico to consider retaliatory measures.

Below are policy actions that serve as a watch list of early indicators for Barack Obama’s game plan to avoid protectionism in global trade matters.

• Barack Obama Health Care

• Obama Keynote Address

• Barach Obama Office

• Senator Obama Office

• Email Senator Obama