Act Now to Put People Over Profits in Trade Policy

From the Citizens Trade Campaign (http://www.citizenstrade.org):

President Trump reiterated his intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) this week, and already, big corporations are calling it an opportunity to further rewrite the rules in their own narrow interests — padding their pockets to the detriment of working families, the environment and public health just like in the initial NAFTA negotiation.

TAKE ACTION: Tell the President and Congress we need trade policies that put human needs over corporate greed at http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1034/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=20941.

President Trump’s test on trade was never simply withdrawing from an already-defunct TPP and opening NAFTA for renegotiation; it’s whether he puts working families, healthy communities and the environment ahead of corporate profits in trade policymaking.

If corporate elites are allowed to dictate how NAFTA is renegotiated, the agreement could actually become even more damaging for working people and the environment in the three countries. Here are a few examples:

Absent high labor and environmental standards, new rules about the sourcing of parts in products could result in the further offshoring of jobs and lowering of wages throughout North America.

Consumers’ access to affordable generic medications could be further restricted if pharmaceutical firms are able to insert the outrageous protections they achieved in the TPP into a new North American deal, which is their publicly stated intent.

Wall Street banks, insurance companies and hedge funds could be further deregulated and food safety inspections could be further limited if the relevant NAFTA chapters are expended.

And communities’ ability to tackle the challenge of climate change could be further handcuffed by certain energy sector rules.

TAKE ACTION: Demand that the interests of working people — not corporate elites — dictate the future of U.S. trade policy.

Before he even took office, our coalition wrote to President Trump demanding real transparency in NAFTA’s renegotiation, so as to prevent the rigged, corporate-dominated process that created NAFTA in the first place from delivering yet another rigged, corporate-dominated pact.

We also clarified what changes in a NAFTA replacement agreement would be essential in order to create good-paying jobs, eliminate threats to our communities and otherwise benefit the majority in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

We know that the trade debate isn’t about the United States versus the rest of the world, but rather multinational corporations versus the rest of us.  We will continue to fight for trade policies that respect workers’ rights across the globe, commit to climate justice and otherwise promote human needs over corporate greed.

Please let the President and Congress know you’re following this issue closely and that you won’t be distracted by false solutions, half-measures or scapegoating. Please write them now.