International Herald Tribune Editorial - Washington reaches a winning deal on trade
International Herald Tribune Editorial - Washington reaches a winning deal on trade
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: May 13, 2007
The Bush administration and congressional Democrats have reached a broad understanding on trade that should benefit American workers, American businesses and global economic growth.
It is good to see that even in today's Washington, partisan divisions need not stand in the way of America's broader national economic interest.
Faced with the prospect that Congress' new Democratic majorities would block all trade agreements, the administration decided that reasonable labor standards were not such a bad idea after all. Instead of playing to protectionist sentiments, Democratic Party leaders accepted the deal.
A commitment to basic labor standards - including bans on child labor and forced labor and guarantees of the right to organize - will be written into pending and future trade agreements. Trading partners will be required to enforce their own environmental laws. The administration will be responsible for monitoring compliance.
Adding these provisions should secure passage of at least two pending trade agreements, with Panama and Peru. It also revives the fading chances of renewing President George W. Bush's "fast track" authority - which limits Congress to an up-or-down vote on trade accords - without which there will be no new free trade agreements.
American trade negotiators should have been pushing for these labor standards all along.
The Bush administration's explanation for not doing so was frankly embarrassing: American manufacturers were concerned that other countries could challenge American laws that prohibit union shops, permit some forms of teenage employment and allow states to sell the products of prison labor.
Such foreign challenges, which will not be permitted under the compromise, were always unlikely. They should never have been allowed to block progress toward trade deals or overshadow concerns about the mistreatment of workers in countries where they have little legal redress. This deal, if the administration carries it out energetically, will harness America's economic power to the cause of expanding labor rights abroad.
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: May 13, 2007
The Bush administration and congressional Democrats have reached a broad understanding on trade that should benefit American workers, American businesses and global economic growth.
It is good to see that even in today's Washington, partisan divisions need not stand in the way of America's broader national economic interest.
Faced with the prospect that Congress' new Democratic majorities would block all trade agreements, the administration decided that reasonable labor standards were not such a bad idea after all. Instead of playing to protectionist sentiments, Democratic Party leaders accepted the deal.
A commitment to basic labor standards - including bans on child labor and forced labor and guarantees of the right to organize - will be written into pending and future trade agreements. Trading partners will be required to enforce their own environmental laws. The administration will be responsible for monitoring compliance.
Adding these provisions should secure passage of at least two pending trade agreements, with Panama and Peru. It also revives the fading chances of renewing President George W. Bush's "fast track" authority - which limits Congress to an up-or-down vote on trade accords - without which there will be no new free trade agreements.
American trade negotiators should have been pushing for these labor standards all along.
The Bush administration's explanation for not doing so was frankly embarrassing: American manufacturers were concerned that other countries could challenge American laws that prohibit union shops, permit some forms of teenage employment and allow states to sell the products of prison labor.
Such foreign challenges, which will not be permitted under the compromise, were always unlikely. They should never have been allowed to block progress toward trade deals or overshadow concerns about the mistreatment of workers in countries where they have little legal redress. This deal, if the administration carries it out energetically, will harness America's economic power to the cause of expanding labor rights abroad.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 8:34 AM
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