Senator Boxer Statement on Peru Free Trade Vote

December 4, 2007 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) made the following statement today regarding the Senate vote on the Peru Free Trade agreement:

“Instead of fast-tracking new trade agreements through Congress, we need to take a deep breath and assess the impact of our failed trade policies and take the country and our economy in a better direction.

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“We should focus on fixing the problems created by NAFTA and other trade agreements, extending Trade Adjustment Assistance for displaced workers, reinvigorating our domestic economy, and creating jobs for hard-working Americans.

“The inclusion of labor and environmental protections in the Peru deal is an important and positive development, but we’re already seeing the Peruvian government backtrack on the spirit of the environmental provisions included in the agreement, and without an administration willing to enforce these provisions, the promises ring hollow.

“When trade agreements are used only as a tool to provide cheap labor for American companies, everyone loses. The United States can be a leader in the global economy if we promote fair trade that creates sustainable markets for American goods and services, protects the environment and improves wages and standards of living for American and foreign workers.”

Source: Senator Barbara Boxer