The U.S. Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment
Act of 2009
A blueprint for trade policy reform and fair trade in Canada?
Members of Congress and Senators in the U.S. have worked with an array of labour, environmental,
consumer, faith and family-farm organizations to develop the U.S. Trade, Reform, Accountability,
Development and Employment (TRADE) Act that offers a progressive path to a new trade and
globalization policy.
The TRADE Act requires a review of existing trade agreements, including NAFTA and the WTO, and
outlines what must, and must not, be included in future agreements. It also provides for the renegotiation
of NAFTA and describes a new process for negotiating new agreements that would enhance the role
of elected officials. The greatest concern from TRADE Act supporters is that current “free trade” deals
don’t do enough to protect jobs and the environment – and they do too much to protect corporate
profits.
But, it’s also about accountability, as the act’s title implies. In Canada, trade agreements are negotiated
in secret by government bureaucrats and trade lawyers, and then signed by the Prime Minister. The
agreements are then brought to Parliament for a minimal legislative debate where they are rarely given
the attention needed.
The U.S. TRADE Act would establish a committee comprised of members of all congressional
committees to review the renegotiation plan – before the ink is dry. Already, the act has 117 co-sponsors
in the U.S. government and that number continues to rise.
What you can do
Could this be an idea whose time has come for Canada? Let your Member of Parliament know you want
to see a Canadian TRADE Act that would require a renegotiation of NAFTA to strengthen environmental
and job protections, and a fairer and more accountable internal and international trade policy in this
country.
For more information on the U.S. TRADE Act, see the Public Citizen website at www.citizen.org.
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