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Dem Sen. Hagan 'Disappointed' With Kirk's NAFTA Remarks
A newly-elected Democratic Senator is now breaking with the Obama administration on trade, after Trade Representative Ron Kirk commented yesterday that issues with NAFTA can be addressed without officially renegotiating it.
Freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), whose textile state has never been friendly to free trade, put out this press release today:
"While I understand the President's desire to maintain a good relationship with our North American trading partners, I am disappointed US Trade Representative Ron Kirk has said it is not necessary to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)," said Hagan. "This country's current trade policy is not working. The manufacturing economy in North Carolina has suffered and far too many North Carolinians have lost their jobs. It is only right we require our trading partners to enforce the labor and environmental standards that we ask of our manufacturing industry."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Adding to Senator Kay Hagan's statement regarding asking our "trading partners" to enforce the same labor and environmental standards that apply in the U.S.---- Many of the corporations that operate there were formerly U.S. based, and their incentive to move was the opportunity to avoid the costs of labor and environmental standards enforced in the U.S.
American consumers would do well to learn that the cheaper products which result carry the hidden costs of their own lost jobs plus global pollution, climate change and even hazards embodied in the products themselves (think lead paint in Chinese toys and sulfur in Chinese wall board).
Free trade is a great mantra, but it can only be wholly justified in a closed market where all standards are the same. That is the real meaning of "fair trade", which is what Senator Hagan is asking for.
April 21, 2009 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kay? I know you know this and I know you think your constituients either don't know or don't care in light of our fifth highest in the nation unemployment rate, but somebody needs to point out the frakking obvious:
North Carolina's manufacturing jobs didn't go to Mexico or Canada. The furniture jobs went to China. The textile jobs went to China or Pakistan. The tobacco jobs followed the industry's customers into the graveyard.
NAFTA's got nothing to do with what ails North Carolina.
April 21, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
"It is only right we require our trading partners to enforce the labor and environmental standards that we ask of our manufacturing industry." Sorry, we in Canada don't wish to regress.
April 23, 2009 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink