Ralph Gomory: America Rethinks Free Trade

This extraordinary primary season has clearly shown that Americans, whether Democrats or Republicans, have finally rebelled against “free trade.” [Ralph Gomory| May 11, 2016 |The Huffington Post] It is high time. There is an enormous gap between free trade as it is taught in textbooks and advocated by those who benefit from it and free…

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Wall St. groups threaten to sit out trade pact push

Power players in the financial services industry are threatening to sit out the push for President Obama’s Pacific Rim trade deal unless the administration addresses one of their main objections to the pact. [Vicky Needham| May 12, 2016 |The Hill] Banks, insurance companies and other financial companies oppose a provision in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership…

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Sen. Franken will oppose TPP

In the coming months, Congress will likely face a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive trade deal covering 12 countries and 40 percent of global trade. It’s the largest trade deal the United States has ever negotiated, and would have an enormous effect on workers in every corner of the country. [Senator Franken| May 07,…

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Failure of Korean Trade Deal Voids TPP

On the fourth anniversary of the Korean trade deal, its lofty promises have been revealed as putrid pie in the sky:  More jobs lost. No exports gained. [Leo Gerard| May 9, 2016 |Huffington Post] Just like NAFTA, just like China’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), free traders swore that the Korean deal would…

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CBP Creates Trade Enforcement Task Force

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection established a Trade Enforcement Task Force last month within CBP’s Office of Trade to further protect the American economy and domestic industry. The task force is focused on issues related to enforcement of antidumping and countervailing duty laws, and interdiction of imported products using forced labor. Both antidumping…

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The Free-Trade Consensus Is Dead

Like most modern trade deals, TTIP has less to do with tariffs than with so-called “non-tariff trade barriers,” a euphemism for ordinary health, safety, environmental, and financial regulations that corporations want to weaken both at home and abroad. In democratic societies, the people usually decide the balance between protecting the public and satisfying commerce. But…

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