On a recorded vote, the Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously on the new Peru Free Trade Agreement.

"Trade Policy will never be the same.”

“The U.S. Peru FTA for the first time incorporates international worker standards in the trade agreement, enforceable like all other provisions.  It is a historic breakthrough. And as the majority insisted, Peru has taken steps to change their legal structure to incorporate the basic international standards before we voted.”

“This is a fundamental break from the ineffectual "enforce your own laws" model of CAFTA and from here forward trade policy will never be the same.  This is not the last step, but it is a meaningful first step. “

The Full text of Rep. Sander Levin’s Opening Statement follows:

Opening Statement of Rep. Sander Levin
U.S. – Peru Free Trade Agreement
Ways and Means Committee Mark-Up
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Prepared for Delivery

Globalization is in trouble -- in the U.S. and abroad.

More of the same trade policy won't work.

What will work is to shape the course of globalization -- with new trade policies -- so more people share the benefits of expanded trade and see its downsides addressed.

To spread trade's benefits workers must be a vital part of the trade equation, and essential to that is that they have their basic rights under the ILO Declaration, including the right to associate and bargain.  That is important for them, for their nation, Peru, and other Latin American countries in the development of a strong middle class so severely lacking, for workers in our nation who do not want to compete with other nations whose entities suppress their workers, and for our companies and workers who need middle classes in other nations to buy the goods and services we produce here at home.

The U.S. Peru FTA for the first time incorporates international worker standards in the trade agreement, enforceable like all other provisions.  It is a historic breakthrough. And as the majority insisted, Peru has taken steps to change their legal structure to incorporate the basic international standards before we voted.

This is a fundamental break from the ineffectual "enforce your own laws" model of CAFTA and from here forward trade policy will never be the same.  This is not the last step, but it is a meaningful first step.

So is requiring both countries for the first time in a bilateral trade agreement to abide with enforceability like all other provisions by international environmental standards--the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).  And the Peru FTA has a groundbreaking provision to prevent import to the U.S. of logs illegally harvested--preventing competition based on a degradation of the Amazon harmful to their continent, ours and beyond.

There is also an important advance on availability of medicines for people in need in Peru.

Many of the criticisms of this FTA have been misstated, indeed badly misguided.  This FTA will NOT impact our ability to set high food safety requirements, it will NOT preclude Buy American provisions, it will NOT lock in Peruvian Social Security privatization, it will NOT give more power to foreign investors.  These are falsehoods and they should be rejected.

This FTA is crucial step on a new path forward for U.S. trade policy and I strongly urge its passage today and on the floor of the House and Senate.

To view Rep. Levin's opening statement click here.

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