OTTAWA, Dec. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Canada's Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper on Saturday joined the campaigning chorus of attacking the United States, saying he would consider abandoning Washington as Canada's main trading partner if the two countries fail to quickly resolve the softwood dispute.

    Canada is at a crossroads with the Americans and there are limits to negotiations, even though the daily trade between both countries is valued at more than 1.1 billion U.S. dollars, Harper said during a campaign swing through Victoria, British Columbia. The B.C. province, which accounts for more than half Canada's lumber exports to the U.S. market, is a key battleground in the race toward the Jan. 23 vote.

    The future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) depends on the U. S. agreeing to honor a ruling that it should repay at least 5 billion Canadian dollars (about 4.3 billion U.S. dollars) in illegal softwood duties collected since 2002, he said.

     "But I think if NAFTA is to move forward, to realize its full potential, that we're going to have to get a satisfactory resolution of this dispute. Otherwise, I think we've probably gone as far in our trading relationship with the Americans as we can."

    Harper said a Conservative government would have to decide whether it could secure access to the American market or shift its focus to other markets.

    "That's a pretty serious decision," said Harper. "It involves some big investment dollars in terms of infrastructure, so we're going to want to get, hopefully, some positive indications from the United States on the future of NAFTA when we're elected."

    Three weeks into the campaign for the Jan. 23 election, Canada-U.S. relations have blown up as one of the race's bigger issues.

    The Liberal Party leader, Paul Martin, whose minority government was brought down late November by a vote of no-confidence, sparked a furor last week by criticizing the Bush administration for not ratifying the Kyoto accord. Martin chided the U.S. for not listening to what he called a "global conscience" on the issue of greenhouse gas emissions.

    "It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner," he said. "But it is a slippery slope and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship."

    David Wilkins, U.S. Ambassador to Canada, shot back at Martin without mentioning him by name in a speech to the Canadian Club in Ottawa.

    "I am going to deal with issues that are important to the Canadian people as they arise and I will call it as I see it," Despite of Wilkins' warning, Martin remained defiant.

    "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects I should raise. I will make sure that Canada speaks with an independent voice."

    Earlier in the campaign, the New Democratic Party leader, Jack Layton, promised to link the softwood dispute to oil and gas exports as a way to get the Americans to return the tariffs.

    According to a poll conducted by the Innovative Research Group in October, almost half (48 percent) of Canadians that were questioned had a "very unfavorable" impression of U.S. President George W. Bush.

    To the question "who is more dangerous to world security, President George W. Bush or Osama bin Laden?" 35 percent of Canadians answered that Bush posed a greater danger. Enditem