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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE CTC FIELD LIST<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">RE: USW Urges U.S. Get Tough with Japan in TPP Trade Deal;
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> <i>U.S. job losses, deficits, currency disciplines, rules of origin not addressed
<span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">gary/usw<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">><a href="mailto:ghubbard!@usw.org">ghubbard!@usw.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">
<hr size="2" width="100%" align="center">
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="673" height="127" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D08281.E4CC2300" alt="Description: cid:image003.png@01D080FD.255764B0"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">For Immediate Release: April 29, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Gary Hubbard, 202-256-8125,
</span><a href="mailto:ghubbard@usw.org"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">ghubbard@usw.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Wayne Ranick, 412-562-2444,
</span><a href="mailto:wranick@usw.org"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">wranick@usw.org</span></a><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">USW Urges U.S. to Get Tough with Japan in Trade Deal<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">U.S. job losses, deficits, currency disciplines, rules of origin not addressed
</span></i><i><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Washington (Apr. 29) – Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) released the following statement after today’s address to a joint session
of Congress by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Prime Minister Abe delivered a speech highlighting the strong partnership between his country and the United States. There is much that our two countries can do together
to promote growth and opportunity around the world. We value the alliance as we value USW alliances with trade union brothers and sisters in Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“But the Prime Minister was here in Washington in part, to try and put the finishing touches on the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) 12-nation trade agreement.
At this point, the potential benefits for Japan to continue the lopsided trade benefits it enjoys are great, while the opportunities for U.S. farmers, businesses and workers are rather limited.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Time after time, U.S. trade negotiators have promised the American people that Japan will change, that the latest trade initiative will finally open up the Japanese market
to our products. However, year after year we have seen the results: Rising trade deficits with Japan, a closed market to our products and lost opportunities for America’s workers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Last year, the U.S. ran a trade deficit in autos and auto parts with Japan of $48.3 billion. While the TPP is expected to have a lengthy phase-out period on U.S. tariffs
on autos coming into our country, the tariff on auto parts will be reduced more quickly. This will only add to the huge deficit we already run, which has cost thousands of workers their jobs.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Promises of market access in Japan in the critical auto parts sector are unlikely to yield much, and since the negotiated text is unavailable to be viewed by the public,
our union is unable to verify those promises.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“In addition, the Obama Administration continues to not even ask for the inclusion of meaningful and effective disciplines to combat currency manipulation – a practice
that Japan has employed in the past to steal market share, sales and jobs from U.S. producers and their workers. Other TPP countries like Malaysia, also engage in currency manipulation, but the Administration refuses to even consider action on this predatory
trade practice -- despite the fact that a bi-partisan majority in Congress favor such action.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“The USTR’s inability, or unwillingness, to strengthen country ‘rule of origin’ standards in free trade agreements has become problematic. Rule of origin standards determine
how much of a product must be from the free trade area (FTA) to qualify for all trade benefits. Unfortunately, USTR has consistently permitted high standards to be reduced.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) required 62.5% of the content originate within the FTA, which was reduced to 50% in the US-Australia FTA and further to
only 35% in the US-Korea FTA. Lower rules will lead to additional U.S. auto part job losses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“It would be unfortunate if we let a car imported from a TPP country duty free to contain 65% auto-parts from non-TPP partners like China. Especially since the administration
continually argues that we must write the rules, or China will. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“If we allow rule of origin standards to be eroded, we are already letting China write the rules in trade.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Japan’s Prime Minister Abe is right to fight for concluding the TPP, since the advantages for Japan appear to be great, while the benefits for the U.S. are still questionable.
Congress should thoroughly review the proposed text and make sure that an agreement doesn’t continue the lopsided relationship we already face.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“Stopping the ‘Fast Track’ proposed legislation recently introduced in Congress is the right path for American working families who don’t want a bad trade deal rammed
through without needed amendments.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">For USW resources on why the Hatch-Wyden-Ryan Fast Track (S.995/H.R. 1890)bill is wrong:
</span></i><a href="http://www.usw.org/get-involved/rapid-response/AFL-CIO-Opposes-Fast-Track-PDF-April-2015.pdf"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">CLICK HERE</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">.
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed among industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, plus the service and public sectors. See us at:
</span></i><a href="http://www.usw.org/"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">http://www.usw.org/</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:6.0pt;margin-right:9.0pt;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;line-height:120%">
<span style="font-size:11.5pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""># # #</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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