The Obama administration’s desire for “fast track” trade authority is not limited to passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In fact, that may be the least important of three deals currently under negotiation by the U.S. Trade Representative. The Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would bind the two biggest economies in the world, the United States and…
In an interview with Politico this week, Ambassador Michael Froman stressed high import tariffs on American goods imposed by the 11 countries with which he is negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). His implication is that the TPP will dramatically lower such tariffs, boosting US exports, significantly increasing the size of our economy, and helping most…
The debate on trade in Congress is not about whether Democrats support trade, or whether we take the side of businesses or labor; it’s about getting trade right. Indeed, because of our efforts, the most recent trade agreements to pass Congress were updated to include enforceable worker rights, environmental standards, and provisions to safeguard access…
Michael Stumo is the CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. While pushing legislation through Congress to grant Permanent Normal Trade Relations status with China in 2000, President Clinton proclaimed, “This a hundred-to-nothing deal for America when it comes to the economic consequences.” [Reposted from The Hill | Michael Stumo | June 5, 2015] A…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 8, 2015 280+ Groups Urge Congress to Reject Effort to Repeal COOL Washington, D.C.—Today, a coalition of 283 farm, rural, consumer, manufacturer, labor, faith and environmental groups from across the United States delivered a letter to the House of Representatives urging Congress to reject the effort to repeal the country of…
House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Thursday (June 4) strongly hinted that the Republican leadership plans to hold separate votes on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), as sources have long expected, though he deferred to the House Rules Committee on the specifics of how that would be…
A corporate dagger is now aimed at the heart of our democracy. It has been well concealed by the noise of battle. Washington is once again fighting about trade. Once more we see most economists lined up in favor of trade along with the global corporations and opposed by the labor unions. [Reposted from The…
June 5, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 5, 2015 Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202-314-3106 [email protected] [Reposted from the National Farmers Union site | June 5, 2015] WASHINGTON (June 5, 2015) – National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson reminded members of the U.S. House of Representatives that the 113-year old organization and its 200,000 family farmer and…
Trade deals write the rules for globalization. That is, they determine who will be winners, and who won’t. [Reposted from the Huffington Post | Stan Sorscher | June 4, 2015] Under NAFTA-style trade deals, the winners have been pharmaceutical companies, big polluters, banks and companies like Nike who scour the earth for the lowest wages…
The United States late last week blasted the World Trade Organization for consistently handing down what it said were flawed and paradoxical rulings against U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat that leave members with no viable, WTO-consistent way to deliver information to consumers about the origin of livestock. [Reposted from Inside US Trade | June…
