He once called NAFTA the “worst trade deal ever.” Now, President Trump is set to make the North American trade deal an even bigger corporate giveaway.
The Trump administration just gave Congress official notice it plans to renegotiate NAFTA. But besides following procedures that will allow Trump to fast-track legislation through Congress, the details are vague at best.
Trump previously promised CEO’s his NAFTA plan would have “pleasant surprises” for them. And we’re not sure we can count on Congress to make sure NAFTA works for working people over the next 90-day consultation period. Lobbyists and lawmakers shouldn’t be the only ones with a say over NAFTA. That’s why we’re demanding public consultations before negotiations begin.
Tell Trump: NAFTA renegotiations can’t begin until the voices of working people are heard.
Last month, Trump’s leaked NAFTA plan revealed an agenda that puts corporations, not America, first. New deregulations mean more leeway for corporations to pipe pollutants into the atmosphere and deliver harmful goods into the hands of consumers.
Meanwhile, the plan seeks to preserve controversial secret corporate tribunals that allow corporations to sue entire governments over “lost profits”. That means more lawsuits along the lines of TransCanada’s $15 billion lawsuit over Obama’s Keystone pipeline veto.
Renegotiation of a massive trade deal like NAFTA has deep repercussions for all of us. But without public input, we’re in for yet another corporate giveaway crafted in isolation by lawmakers and lobbyists. Trump’s plan to fast-track NAFTA is a bad sign for public accountability. That’s why we need to act fast and ensure the Trump administration commits to public consultations before trade renegotiations begin.
Demand Trump commit to meaningful public consultations on NAFTA before renegotiations begin.
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New York Times. 18 June 2017.