[CTC] Chamber holds off on endorsing trade deal

[Arthur Stamoulis]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mcconnell-vows-to-repeal-climate-rules/article/2574792 <http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mcconnell-vows-to-repeal-climate-rules/article/2574792>


Chamber holds off on endorsing trade deal
By SEAN HIGGINS <http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/sean-higgins> (@SEANGHIGGINS <http://twitter.com/seanghiggins>) • 10/23/15 12:20 PM
 
Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue held off on endorsing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation trade deal the White House recently concluded negotiations on, stating that even he was not certain what was in the fine print of the deal. The Chamber is one of the leading advocates for free-trade policies, and its support will be crucial to getting the deal approved by Congress.
 
"Nobody has seen it. Nobody has read it. Nobody has read the sidebars. While we are supporting the process, we look forward to reading the agreement. We find that works best. When we get there, we'll be a participant in bringing that, I hope, to a positive conclusion," Donohue told reporters Friday during a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
 
It was a surprisingly hesitant response from Donohue, who also said the chamber "had worked with others in completing the Pacific agreement" and thus would be in a better position than most to know what was included the final text.
 
The White House officially concluded negotiations on the deal Oct. 5. However, a complete text has not been made public. U.S. Trade Rep. Michael Froman told reporters on Oct. 7 that they were still "working with the other countries to finalize the details of the text" and they hoped to have it released "as soon as possible." He indicated it would be released by early November. The administration must provide 60 days of public notice before signing a trade deal, at which point it is submitted to Congress for approval.
 
The lack of details has caused hesitancy by business groups. They fear that last-minute amendments to the deal could have changed some key provisions.
 
Donohue made abundantly clear that he wanted to be able to support the deal. He pointed out the Chamber's long support for free-trade policies and its support of Trade Promotion Authority, legislation that passed this summer that limits Congress to an up or down vote on trade bills, the passage of which was widely seen as crucial to the Pacific deal's chances in Congress.
 
"We are an organization that has supported positive trade bills all over the world," he said.
 
U.S. tariffs on imported goods average 1.4 percent. U.S. goods often face tariffs ranging between 40-70 percent. The 11 other countries in the trade deal are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, Mexico, Chile, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Peru.
 
The deal excludes China, which administration officials such as Froman have pointed to in pushing for congressional approval. Not passing the trade pact would give Beijing the opportunity to set the standards for international trade in the region, they argue.
 
Trade bills are controversial in Congress, with President Obama facing serious opposition to the deal from members of his own party. The two top Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have both come out in opposition to it, echoing concerns from trade and environmental groups that it would accelerate job outsourcing and give companies too much power to challenge regulations. Obama will have to rely Republican help to pass the deal, but GOP leaders have expressed hesitancy as well.
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