Leaked TPP Chapter Sparks Outrage

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Investment Chapter that leaked last week has been making waves. Trade scholars, talking heads, citizens and politicians are all discussing the ramifications of this chapter, which outlines the process that multinational corporations can use to sue governments that enact laws to protect public health, workers’ rights, and the environment.

The leak of this secretive chapter has amplified the voices of bipartisan congressmen and numerous civil society organizations who have long been demanding transparency in the TPP negotiations. Huffington Post ran an article which opened on the front page and has drawn a record number of reader comments- 29,959 to date. The text of the article cites the list of calamitous effects the TPP Investment Chapter could have, including raising the cost of vital medicines and effectively ending “Buy American” preferences for domestic manufacturers. Global Trade Watch Director Lori Wallach warned that "the outrageous stuff in this leaked text may well be why U.S. trade officials have been so extremely secretive about these past two years of [trade] negotiations."

The progressive online magazine Salon ran a story warning its readers that TPP could grow “bigger than NAFTA.” Other articles have also appeared in a variety of domestic and international outlets, including RT (which also interviewed our own Todd Tucker), Inside US Trade, The New Zealand Herald, Law360, the Santiago Times and the International Economic Law and Policy Blog, among others.

Wallach has also discussed the leak on numerous radio and television programs. On the news show “Democracy Now,” Lori spoke with Amy Goodman and Juan González about the dangers of TPP as “a 'one-percenter' power tool that could rip up our basic needs and rights." She also appeared on numerous other TV and radio outlets, including the Viewpoint with Elliot Spitzer on CurrentTV, Let’s Talk About It Radio, Pacifica Radio, CounterSpin, the Dave Sirota Show, the Nicole Sandler Show, Stand UP! With Pete and Dominic, the Bill Press Show, and Sly in the Morning.

The leak has incited extremely significant dialogue, especially in Australia, which according to the leaked document would be the only TPP nation exempt from the Chapter’s provisions on investor-state tribunals.

Providing the public with access to the TPP Investment Chapter is a significant beginning step towards unearthing the secrets of the TPP negotiations and promoting awareness of the powers it bestows upon corporations at the expense of the citizens of America and the eight other TPP nations. (Or eleven, if you include this week's announcements that Canada and Mexico would join the talks.) The more exposure this document receives, the more pressure can be put upon negotiators to live up their promises of transparency.

Thanks to Jed Silver for contributing to this post.

Donald Trump Opposes Korea FTA, Supports Fair Trade

Today on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Donald Trump launched into a tirade about the Korea FTA, unprompted.

“Have you seen what’s happened recently with the trade pact with South Korea?” said Trump. “They ask us to sign something that only a moron would sign.”

Trump went on to say, “I think that fair trade is a much better word than ‘free trade.’ I listen to these people saying, ‘Oh, that’s going to hurt free trade.’ What’s ‘free trade’ when a country has imbalances of hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars…?”

We think The Donald has a clear message to USTR: Fix the deal, or YOU’RE FIRED!

FAIR's "CounterSpin" and The Thom Hartmann Program Feature Our FTA Export Penalty Report

CounterSpin, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's (FAIR) nationally-syndicated radio show, airs its interview with our research director, Todd Tucker, today. It sets the record straight about our new report, "Lies, Damn Lies, and Export Statistics." You can listen below; the segment begins at 18:19.

TNT on FAIR's CounterSpin, 9.24.10

Todd was also on the Thom Hartmann Program last week talking about the report. Check it out; the segment begins 1/3 of the way through.

TNT on Thom Hartmann, 9.17.10

 

Your Tax Dollars Going to Foreign Banks? Lori Wallach Comments on CNN.

The Congressional Oversight Panel issued a report last week that showed much of the bailout money ended up going to foreign banks. Does that strike you as odd - or maybe even bad? If so, you should know that, under WTO rules, the U.S. has to give equal treatment to foreign and domestic banks.

As Lori Wallach put it, "Under the current World Trade Organization rules, the United States is pretty much required to take our tax dollars and, on the down side, bail out things that don't work. But the U.S. taxpayers don't get the profit for those risks on the upside when that globalization finance is profitable for the banks."

Click here to see Lori Wallach's comments on CNN's "The Situation Room."

Lori Wallach discusses Obama's National Export Initiative on PBS

Click here to watch Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, on the PBS show Ideas in Action. She discusses President Obama's National Export Initiative.

VIDEO: Lori Wallach Explains TPP

Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, sets the scene for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and briefly details what's at stake:

GTW Director Lori Wallach Appears on Bloomberg TV

Check out Lori's interview on Bloomberg Television about January's trade deficit numbers and President Obama's National Export Initiative:

 

Watch Lori Wallach LIVE on Bloomberg TV at 2pm

Go here and click on "Launch Video Player" and "U.S."  She'll be talking about trade deficit numbers and President Obama's National Export Initiative.