Clinton Says Yes to Peru Deal

[babylonsister]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/clinton-says-yes-to-peru/

Clinton Says Yes to Peru Deal

By Sarah Wheaton

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, after prodding from a rival campaign, has issued positions on several trade deals currently before Congress, including her support for an agreement with Peru that is dividing her party.

A trade pact with the South American nation passed the House today with primarily Republican support—a minority of the Democrats who voted did so in favor of the measure.

The free trade issue is also dividing Democrats on the campaign trail. Saying he was “disappointed” by its passage, John Edwards criticized Senator Barack Obama for expressing support for the bill, and he repeated his call—first issued on Sunday—for Mrs. Clinton state her position.

Here’s the answer, though not the one he wanted (or, at least, not the one he said he wanted):

I have long said that we need smart trade policies that advance labor rights, the environment, and our economic standing in the world.

I support the trade agreement with Peru. It has very strong labor and environmental protections. This agreement makes meaningful progress on advancing workers’ rights, and also levels the playing field for American workers. Most Peruvian goods already enter the U.S. duty free, but our exports to Peru have been subject to tariffs.

However, I will oppose the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The South Korean agreement does not create a level playing field for American carmakers. I am very concerned about the history of violence against trade unionists in Colombia. And as long as the head of Panama’s National Assembly is a fugitive from justice in America, I cannot support that agreement. Accordingly, I will oppose the trade agreements with these countries.

We need to vigorously enforce our trade agreements. As President, I will appoint a trade enforcement officer and double the enforcement staff at the office of the United States Trade Representative. I will also systematically review every trade agreement to ensure that it is delivering benefits to American workers. I will also expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance program so that workers negatively affected by the global economy get the help they need. And as President, in my first months in office, I will take a time out from new trade deals to assess their impact before going forward.