On February 4, the U.S. trade ambassador and trade ministers of 11 other Asia-Pacific countries signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in New Zealand. Signing the trade agreement means that negotiations are finished and President Obama can bring the TPP to Congress for “Fast Track” approval at any time.
Under Fast Track, Congress will have 90 working days to debate the TPP and approve implementing legislation. Pres. Obama could bring the trade deal to Congress as early as April or May, paving the way for summer votes in Congress. Some speculate that a vote won’t happen until after the election in a lame duck session.
The TPP would be the largest regional trade accord in history, accounting for 40% of the global economy.
WORC and seven member groups were among 1,500 labor, environmental, consumer advocates and faith groups on a letter to Congress demanding lawmakers block the TPP. The letter said the TPP poses significant threats to American jobs and wages, the environment, food safety and public health, and that falls far short of establishing the high standards the United States should require in a 21st Century trade agreement.
WORC opposes the trade pact because the TPP would:
- Offshore good-paying American jobs, lower wages for the remaining jobs, and increase income inequality by forcing U.S. employers to compete with companies exploiting labor in countries such as Vietnam, where workers earn less that 65 cents an hour, and Malaysia, where about one-third of workers in the export-oriented electronics industry are victims of human trafficking.
- Protect investors by reducing risks and costs of relocating production to low-wage countries.
- Fail to protect human rights.
- Waive “Buy American” and “Buy Local” preferences in many government purchases.
- Undermine environmental protections.
- Delay introduction of low-cost generic medications, increase health-care costs, and reduce access to medicine both at home and abroad.
- Allow food imports if the exporting country’s safety standards are “equivalent” to U.S. standards.
- Open higher U.S. food safety standards on pesticides, labeling, and additives to challenges as illegal trade barriers.
- Grant foreign firms greater rights than domestic firms enjoy under U.S. law.
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