Brown sends NAFTA letter to Trump

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, recently sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump about the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In the letter, Brown laid out a four-point plan to secure the best deal for U.S. workers in the renegotiation of NAFTA: secure anti-outsourcing and buy-America commitments up front; prevent pitting American workers and industries against each other in negotiations; build enforcement tools that favor American workers, not foreign corporations, if the deal is violated; and include workers in the negotiations.

NAFTA eliminated most tariffs on trade among Mexico, Canada and the U.S.

Trump recently announced he would renegotiate the trade pact rather than terminate it as he had proposed before. But the Republican president said if he can’t make a fair deal he will then terminate NAFTA.

Brown has spoken with the president about “Buy American” laws and has had multiple conversations with top White House trade advisers.

“I have worked forever on trade policy,” Brown said in a call with reporters Wednesday. “We need a secure, upfront commitment from our trade partners to secure strict worker protections.”