The SEC, recognizing continued problems with persistent and large trade failures in a few hundred stocks, is currently gathering comments about proposed amendments that would close some loopholes.
In comments on Saturday, President Bush touted the benefits of free trade and said Canada, Mexico and the US already have seen the benefits of free trade through the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).
Many newspapers there carried comments from the state's senior Democratic representative calling for changes in trade and tax policy to help US automakers better compete with overseas rivals.