Trade Update: NAFTA Accountability, Colombia Push Is On

I've been a bit behind in posting as I put the finishing touches on my new book, but I wanted to flag a few stories that are very important as the debate over trade policy continues to intensify:

- According to the Topeka Capital-Journal [1], Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS) and a group of fair-trade Democrats have introduced legislation that would mandate a withdrawal from NAFTA if the trade deal doesn't meet 5 clear standards including "gains in U.S. jobs and living standards, increased domestic manufacturing, improved health standards with respect to food imports from Mexico, reduced flow of illegal drugs from Mexico and Canada and increased human freedoms in Mexico." Boyda said the United States needs to “get a NAFTA that works or get the hell out of NAFTA."

- Though Democrats promised that the Peru Free Trade Agreement would not lead to a domino effect that meant the passage of even more NAFTA-style trade deals, Reuters [2] reports that major multinational CEOs are now ratcheting up their campaign to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

- John Edwards (D) [3] was the only presidential candidate of either party to note the 14th anniversary of the passage of NAFTA. Nonetheless, the Concord Monitor [4] notes how powerful an issue trade is in the New Hampshire primary.

- The Salt Lake Tribune [5] has a great piece about the renewed push for better safety oversight of imports.