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Chicago Tribune: U.S. must set the rules for global trade

June 12, 2015
Editorials

The following article appeared in the Chicago Tribune on June 12, 2015. A link to the article can be found here.

By Rep. Mike Quigley

For the better part of the last century, this nation has led the global economy: innovating, manufacturing and selling American-made goods around the world. But if we want to remain a leader in the growing global economy, we must embrace the economic opportunities that trade offers, while demanding that trade agreements protect American workers and reinforce our morals around the world.

The value of competing globally is perhaps nowhere more evident than in Illinois and Chicago. Boeing, Caterpillar and Abbott Labs all do billions of dollars worth of exporting from Illinois every year. But it's not just these name brands that benefit. We know that trade doesn't just help Wall Street or even just Main Street; it also helps businesses on the side streets, such as Elston Avenue in my home district.

Of the more than 23,000 companies that exported abroad from Illinois last year — more than 15,000 of which are from the Chicago area — 90 percent were small and medium-size businesses. Given that fewer than 5 percent of their potential customers live in the U.S. and every $1 billion in exports supports 5,000 jobs, our communities stand to gain a great deal from the increase in exports that high-standard trade deals offer.

In my home district, exports support more than 100,000 jobs. Imagine how many more jobs we can create by breaking down the barriers that prevent Chicago-made goods and services from entering new markets.

That is why I support passage of trade promotion authority legislation, which will give President Barack Obama the authority to negotiate progressive, high-standard trade agreements with countries around the world — the same authority that we have given almost every president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Other countries with long records of environmental and labor abuses, like China, are negotiating their own trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region, and if the U.S. isn't setting the rules for global trade, China will. Without the U.S. leading the way in trade negotiations, we likely will see irreversible damage to our environment and widespread abuse of labor and human rights, all while we lose out on the opportunity to expand our economy and create jobs.

Some have expressed concern that entering into new trade agreements will put U.S. companies in direct competition with businesses in countries that have poor environmental and labor standards. But if we sit on the sidelines, we will lock in current global trading standards as the status quo instead of requiring other countries to adopt American standards.

We must use this opportunity to correct the mistakes made in previous trade deals such as NAFTA and export not only our products but our morals around the world. That's why this TPA demands that our trading partners adopt strong, enforceable environmental and labor protections in any future trade agreements. These requirements will ensure that American workers and American businesses are competing on a fair and level playing field, and that standards are raised around the world.

Americans face a critical decision in the coming months and years. Now is the time to decide if we will engage and compete in a global economy or ignore the opportunity to lead the way into a more prosperous, fair 21st century. Illinois and Chicago have shown they can compete on the world stage, and we will continue to answer the challenge.

Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat, represents the 5th Congressional District of Illinois.

Issues:Economy and Jobs