Freshman Trade Forum

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ALI members only event
Attendees:

  • Congressman Colin Allred

  • Congresswoman Cindy Axne

  • Congresswoman Angie Craig

  • Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher

  • Congressman Steven Horsford

  • Congressman Ron Kind

  • Congressman Greg Stanton

  • Congresswoman Hayley Stevens

Doug DeMark Photography LLC

ALI brought together an impressive group of House Freshmen for a discussion regarding USMCA and China trade, workforce development and these issues affect their districts. Congressman Ron Kind, having just returned from Geneva, kicked off the conversation discussing the importance of global rules and multilateralism. Wendy Cutler, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under President Obama and Melanie Hart, Director of China at the Center for American Progress, spoke about trade with China, and  Kellie Meiman, Managing Partner at McLarty Associates and Ambassador Tony Wayne, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President Obama spoke about USMCA. 

Representatives from the states bordering Mexico discussed the dependence of their communities and workforces on trade with Mexico, and representatives from Midwest states discussed the enormous economic suffering sustained by their farmers caused by the current tariff war with China, which has caused an enormous decline in sales of American agricultural products.

Discussion topics included the differences between USMCA and NAFTA, the impact of USMCA on energy trade, diversifying supply chains away from China, the job impacts of trade and the need for ambitious new US government investments in American workers, including robust training, education and apprentice programs, and the need to replace Trade Adjustment Assistance with an entirely new and comprehensive adjustment assistance system. The group also discussed labor and environmental provisions in trade agreements, and the impact of Chinese government industrial policy and interventions in third countries, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.