[CTC] Sierra Club & Friends of the Earth Statements

[Arthur Stamoulis]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, July 17, 2017
 
Contact: Jonathon Berman, (202) 495-3033 <tel:(202)%20495-3033>, jonathon.berman at sierraclub.org <mailto:jonathon.berman at sierraclub.org> 
View as webpage <https://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/07/trumps-promised-nafta-plan-keeps-workers-and-communities-dark> 
Trump's Promised NAFTA "Plan" Keeps Workers and Communities in the Dark
Administration Suggests Repeat of Widely-Opposed TPP Provisions
 
Washington, DC -- Today, the Trump administration released its objectives <https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/NAFTAObjectives.pdf> for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The objectives suggest a repeat of labor and environmental provisions from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- a deal whose demise Donald Trump widely took credit for -- that were deemed too weak by virtually all leading labor and environmental groups. On other critical questions, the ostensibly “detailed” negotiating objectives provide no details, such as whether corporations will continue to be able to use NAFTA to sue governments over environmental protections in unaccountable tribunals of corporate lawyers. 
 
Earlier this year, leading environmental groups laid out a platform <https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/NAFTA%20Enviro%20Redlines%20FINAL.pdf> for replacing NAFTA with a trade deal that protects communities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The plans released by the administration today are generally silent on these objectives, and those outlined by unions, family farmers, and consumer groups. Instead of concrete objectives, today's announcement contained vague platitudes.
 
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
 
“In a blunt display of hypocrisy, Donald Trump appears to want to copy and paste the weak labor and environmental provisions of the TPP, a deal that Trump claimed to hate. Based on today’s ‘plan,’ one could be forgiven for concluding that Trump's opposition to the TPP was merely political theater and this administration has no intent of fundamentally changing NAFTA.
 
“Throughout his campaign, Trump pledged to workers and communities across the country that he would immediately fix a trade deal that has eroded wages and increased pollution. Instead, his long-awaited NAFTA 'plan' keeps workers and communities in the dark and offers only vague tweaks to a corporate trade deal that has harmed workers and communities for more than two decades. 
 
“The only way the deal that replaces NAFTA will benefit the public is if the negotiation process is conducted in the open, not in a corporate board room. Unsurprisingly, that  doesn’t look like that’s what Trump has in mind. We cannot afford another trade deal that locks out the public and locks in fossil fuel dependency.”
 
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About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org <http://www.sierraclub.org/>.

 
http://www.foe.org/news/news-releases/2017-07-trumps-nafta-renegotiation-objectives-indicate-possible-attack <http://www.foe.org/news/news-releases/2017-07-trumps-nafta-renegotiation-objectives-indicate-possible-attack>
Friends of the Earth news release

Trump’s NAFTA renegotiation objectives indicate possible stealth attack on public health, food, agriculture

Posted Jul. 17, 2017 / Posted by: Audrey Fox 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released the Trump Administration’s objectives for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trade promotion authority legislation requires the President to provide “a detailed summary” of the objectives of trade negotiations 30 days before negotiations begin.

Friends of the Earth Senior Trade Analyst Bill Waren issued the following response: 

Donald Trump demonized NAFTA and the TPP during his presidential campaign and made assurances he would rework trade deals to protect the American people. Now, it appears that Trump has modified his message. Since taking office, Trump has shown repeatedly that he plans to “re-do” NAFTA to benefit corporations. 

Trump’s statement indicates he plans to step up his war on public health and the planet by modeling NAFTA’s provisions related to environmental regulation on the TPP. These objectives appear to set the stage for a stealth attack on strong regulation of food, agriculture, chemicals, and biotechnology.

Friends of the Earth’s detailed analysis of the Trump Administration’s objectives for NAFTA renegotiation can be found here. <http://webiva-downton.s3.amazonaws.com/877/a0/6/10591/Analysis_NAFTA_renegotiation_objectives.pdf>
Expert contact: Bill Waren, (202) 222-0747, wwaren at foe.org
 <mailto:wwaren at foe.org>Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, ejensen at foe.org <mailto:ejensen at foe.org%20>




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