Biden on Trade

(Disclosure: Global Trade Watch has no preference among the candidates.)

Toronto's Globe and Mail highlights the trade positions of Barack Obama’s new running mate, Sen. Joe Biden:

Brace yourself for a barrage of tough rhetoric on trade from Joe Biden, Democrat Senator Barack Obama's vice-presidential pick.

The U.S. senator from Delaware has vowed to overhaul the North American free-trade agreement and take Prime Minister Stephen Harper "to the mat."

A self-described "fair trader," Mr. Biden voted against recent trade pacts between the U.S. and other countries. He's also pushed for strict enforcement of U.S. and international trade laws.

And like most Democrats, he wants new and explicit protections for workers and the environment built into all future trade deals.

While running for President, Sen. Biden recognized the strong public opposition to our current NAFTA/WTO trade model. Biden announced his opposition to the Peru Free Trade Agreement last fall.

Biden also echoed Sen. Obama's comments on the need for a strong response to the importation of unsafe toys in an October 30, 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University: "If I were president, I'd shut down any imports from China, period, in terms of their toys -- flat shut it down. Imagine if this was Morocco selling us these toys, we would have shut it down a year ago."

More statements from Sen. Biden on trade and globalization are available here.