US President Trump has told a bunch of CEOs he’ll have “pleasant surprises” for them when it comes to NAFTA renegotiations.
Despite railing against NAFTA on the campaign trail, Trump has done an about-face and agreed to renegotiate NAFTA instead of withdraw. But he appears set to retain the worst aspects of the US-Canada-Mexico trade deal. That means preserving Investor State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) that let companies sue entire governments over “lost profits” to regulations that keep workers, consumers, and the planet safe.
We all lose when secretive corporate courts uphold the “rights” of corporations to build massive oil pipelines or dump loads of toxic waste. That’s why we need to come together to demand the leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the US prioritize good jobs, the environment, and democracy in their new NAFTA negotiations.
Tell Peña Nieto, Trudeau, and Trump to keep ISDS out of the new NAFTA, and commit to public consultations during trade negotiations.
NAFTA’s shady corporate courts cost taxpayers millions, while putting governments’ abilities to protect the environment at risk. Ban a gasoline containing a neurotoxin? Get hit with a lawsuit. Stop an American waste disposal company from dumping toxic waste in our backyard? Pay up.
Meanwhile, NAFTA’s lax regulations have flooded Mexico with foreign manufacturers eager to take advantage of tax benefits that have put millions of workers in exploitative, dangerous factory jobs.
We all have a stake when it comes to workers rights and environmental protections. That’s why we need to join millions of Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans who are voicing their concerns with the new NAFTA negotiations. Let’s come together as a global community to support their calls for a trade deal that works for people, not just corporations.
Tell Peña Nieto, Trudeau, and Trump to put people before corporate profits and commit to public consultations during NAFTA trade negotiations.
More information
The Independent. 27 April 2017.
The Hill. 11 April 2017.