The U.S. Needs a New Deal on Trade with More Opportunities for American Exports – Gary Locke

(Seattle Times – Gary Locke)

For weeks before the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting in Seattle, state and local authorities had known that peaceful protests were being planned around the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. But as I drove through downtown on the night of November 29 and saw waves of people returning from a rally waving placards, I got a sinking feeling that the anti-trade sentiment was stronger than people had anticipated. ...events of that day still resonate 10 years later – because the profound questions and concerns that many Americans still have about trade and globalization have not been fully answered. […]

The Obama administration is working to build a new consensus on trade, one that can create widespread prosperity for everyone. While in Asia recently, President Obama pledged that the U.S. would engage in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, which would draw us closer to Asia – a bloc of countries that buys 26% of U.S. exports – while setting a high bar for human rights, environmental protection and labor that could serve as a model for future trade agreements.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department, which I have the honor to lead, is significantly expanding our export-promotion efforts around the world to ensure that U.S. businesses – especially the small and medium-size enterprises that account for more than half of all new jobs – have fair and frequent access to foreign markets. I'm confident that the steps we're taking will help make the benefits of trade more immediately apparent to all Americans – and that is vitally important.

I understand the frustration we saw in Seattle 10 years ago, and in these difficult economic times, we're seeing similar emotions from people who feel like the American economy just doesn't work for them and their families anymore.

That's got to change. Under the leadership of this administration, it will.

Read the complete editorial here.