U.S. official promotes free trade agreements

[OhioChick]

Commerce - Susan Schwab calls on Congress to ratify NAFTA-like pacts, including those with Peru and Panama

Friday, August 10, 2007

The U.S. trade ambassador stumped Thursday in Portland for more NAFTA-style pacts, previewing stark economic choices faced by Congress.

U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab swept through town on a campaign-style swing promoting free trade. About three dozen demonstrators with labor and environmental groups rallied outside the Arlington Club, where she addressed business leaders.

The face-off foreshadowed debates in Congress, where party leaders are calling for progress on multination trade talks before scheduling votes.

Schwab, who holds a Cabinet-level position in the Bush administration, called on Congress to ratify trade agreements, including those with Peru, Colombia and Panama. She said the pacts would open foreign markets to U.S. exporters, boosting employment.

"These three trade agreements should be no-brainers," Schwab said during a meeting earlier Thursday with members of The Oregonian's editorial board.

Arthur Stamoulis, director of the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, a Portland-based coalition of labor, environmental and human rights organizations, said just the opposite. "Any member of Congress from the Pacific Northwest would be nuts to support the Bush administration trade agenda," Stamoulis said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1186714537167830.xml&coll=7

[ulysses]

1. "no-brainers" - you could call them that, yes.

:eyes:

I mean, NAFTA and CAFTA have worked out so well...