In the Form of a Study, a Salvo From the Left Questions Obama’s Trade Goals

[brentspeak]

Obama is actually pursuing US Chamber of Commerce-supported free trade agreements, but Public Citizen's research argues that, if we want to have success exporting goods, it would be stupid to do so:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/business/economy/15trade.html?_r=1

By SEWELL CHAN
Published: September 14, 2010

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has set a goal of doubling American exports over five years, and has called on Congress to eventually ratify free-trade agreements that were negotiated by the Bush administration with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.

But a report by a group that is skeptical of trade liberalization questions whether the first goal requires the second. The group, Public Citizen, will release a study Wednesday saying that in the last 12 years, exports to the 17 countries with which the United States has free-trade agreements grew at a slightly slower pace than exports to other countries.

Public Citizen, a left-leaning group that is critical of globalization, also found that last year, when trade fell worldwide in response to the financial crisis, American exports to free-trade partners shrank at a slightly higher rate than exports to other nations. And free-trade deals, moreover, have helped exacerbate the nation’s overall trade deficit, a major source of global economic imbalance.

The report is largely a response to arguments made by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, two powerful business groups, that believe the free-trade agreements are crucial to the success of President Obama’s National Export Initiative.

[OHdem10]

1. Chamber of Commerce and N. Assoc Mfg have one interest and

and one interest only: What is good for Business???
Cheap Labor. Once they go to a poor country for
cheap labor then where to sell the goods??? Why
send them to the good ole USA. Most often the countries
are poor and they do not have large groups of citizens
who can afford to buy goods made by the better paid
workers in the US.

It sounds great---increase our exports. Do not kid
yourself. These trade deals help Business and give
the shaft to our Workers.

I cannot believe Obama wants to dig the hole deeper.

Forty Million job dislocations in US is not enough???

The Trade Policy of this country needs a serious
overhaul.

Fair trade not Free Trade.

[brentspeak]

2. s/k

:kick: