Democrats Want New Global Trade Rules

A group of Senate Democrats is urging the White House to support legislation that would rewrite the rules of global trade. The Trade Reform, Accountability, Development & Employment Act, introduced on Dec. 1 by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), would require the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and more than a dozen other trade deals that critics blame for the loss of millions of U.S. manufacturing jobs. The bill is cosponsored by six Democrats and Independent Bernard Sanders (Vt.). Similar legislation (H.R. 3012) was introduced in the House in June by Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) and has 128 cosponsors, most of whom are Democrats. The chemical industry strongly supports NAFTA, which joins the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Since the pact took effect in 1994, U.S. chemical exports to Canada and Mexico have nearly tripled to about $40 billion.