But the most striking thing about the debate within Washington is how long the measures took to get noticed – and how little they are perceived as a protectionist act.
The dwindling band of free-trade Democrats on Capitol Hill has been almost completely silent. It was two weeks before Barack Obama, US president, made a partial criticism of the provisions, saying they should be modified to be compatible with World Trade Organisation rules.
Now that the Senate has narrowed its version of the provisions, an uneasy compromise is likely to emerge where Congress agrees the strongest set of restrictions that does not violate US commitments under the WTO and the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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