[CTC] New Dems want a “return to rules-based trade policy”

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Morning Trade

— The New Democrats want a “return to rules-based trade policy.” The coalition’s chair says that does not include Trump-style tariffs. 

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NEW DEMS’ TRADE AGENDA: Centrist Democrats have outlined their priorities <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a304409de06d51d2620f7be93dcd6cf0b3b8ddbc115d710d797213869b9edd4d8c75b6e334606811bf2e98dd42c43263> for the early days of the Biden administration and among them is a “return to rules-based trade policy that works for American workers, farmers, and businesses.” That means a departure from the Trump administration’s “unpredictably used tariffs” and “mini deals,” explained Rep. Suzan DelBene <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a304409de06d51d2fa43128400d7911322540b5fa79c4bc183b04061f5b21c066a5bcd21bcd64932acc68a6418ef1ec5> (D-Wash.), chair of the New Democrats Coalition. 

“We have an opportunity for congressional engagement on policy. We have an opportunity to work in a multilateral way, which I think is very important, especially as we address issues like China,” she said in an interview. 

Former President Donald Trump’s tariffs alienated trading partners and hurt a number of U.S. businesses — including a now-closed aluminum smelter in DelBene’s district, she contends. And while she didn’t call for Biden to scrap the tariffs, instead applauding his pledge to review them, she asserted that taking on China’s harmful trade practices requires action in tandem with other countries. “We need trade policy, not tariff policy,” she said.

Trade enthusiasts have expressed concern that a Democratic split over free trade will make deals more difficult in a narrowly divided congress. The party’s progressive wing, in its own 2021 priorities  <https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=804fca3c85cc1a56b708184c3bd5c75cad451b232a61e00a3d4bdb091b0fe33270a332aaa4dbcd741dcd05982df46d04>, derided “corporate-driven trade agreements” that have led to “a race to the bottom in global wages and working conditions.” But DelBene points to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as proof that Democrats can work through ideological differences to produce a deal that uplifts workers and the environment. “That sets a template for how we can move forward on other agreements,” DelBene said.



Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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