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Hillary Clinton on Free Trade

Chief advocate for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Within the populist Democratic movement, there is a rising tide against once-popular trade deals. Clinton has been involved with many of the pacts from her time as first lady, in the Senate and finally, as part of the Obama administration.

Clinton saw herself in the middle of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during her husband's presidency. She supported deals with Oman, Chile and Singapore during her tenure in the Senate. As secretary of State, she was a chief advocate as talks commenced surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), one of the largest worldwide deals in recent history.

Many proponents of the agreements argue that negotiations need to take place in secret in order to protect the fragile interests of participating countries. This has not sat well with public interest groups and more liberal members of the Democratic Party.
Source: Megan R. Wilson in TheHill.com weblog, "Clinton vs. Warren" , Aug 24, 2014

TPP agreement creates more growth and better growth
Many proponents of the agreements argue that negotiations need to take place in secret in order to protect the fragile interests of participating countries.

At the State Department, Clinton didn't address specifics in the negotiating process, but told attendees at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum conference that she hoped it would "create a new high standard for multilateral free trade."

Critics have said that the agreement would ease regulations protecting both laborers & the environment, despite claims from Clinton to the contrary: "Our goal for TPP is to create not just more growth, but better growth. We believe the TPP needs to include strong protections for workers, the environment, intellectual property, and innovation," Clinton said at the event in 2011. "It should also promote the free flow of information technology and the spread of green technology, as well as the coherence of our regulatory system and the efficiency of supply chains."
Source: Megan R. Wilson in TheHill.com weblog, "Clinton vs. Warren" , Aug 24, 2014

Global trading system isn't up to standards of fairness
America worked to create a global economy. The current global trading system is distorted not only by barriers to entry in developing and emerging economies, but by the power of special interests in developed countries, including the US. To make trade fairer as well as freer, developing countries have to do a better job of improving productivity, raising labor conditions, and protecting the environment. In the US, we have to do a better job of providing good jobs to those displaced by trade.
Source: Hard Choices, by Hillary Clinton, p.509 , Jun 10, 2014

China benefits from WTO and should play by WTO rules
We should focus on ending currency manipulation, environmental destruction and miserable working conditions [in China]. I acknowledge the challenge of lifting millions of people out of poverty. China argued this outweighed any obligation to play by established rules. I countered that China and other emerging economies had benefited greatly from the system the US had helped create, including their membership in the World Trade Organization, and now they needed to take their share of responsibility.
Source: Hard Choices, by Hillary Clinton, p.513 , Jun 10, 2014

Have a trade prosecutor to enforce the trade agreements
Q: What would you do differently than a Pres. Obama would when it comes to the economy?

A: I would agree with Obama a lot, because it is the Democratic agenda. We are going to rid the tax code of these loopholes & giveaways. We’re going to stop giving penny of your money to anybody who ships a job out to another country. We’re going to begin to get the tax code to reflect what the needs of middle class families are so we can rebuild a strong & prosperous middle class. The wealthy & the well-connected have had a president the last 7 years, and it’s time that the rest of the US had a president to work for you every single day. We will have a different approach toward trade. We’re going to start having trade agreements that not only have strong environmental and labor standards, but also a trade time-out. We’re going to look and see what’s working & what’s not working. I’d like to have a trade prosecutor to actually enforce the trade agreements that we have before we enter into any others.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin , Feb 21, 2008
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http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Hillary_Clinton_Free_Trade.htm
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