COLORADO SPRINGS – The November elections have vaulted trade policy to the forefront of the American debate.  The Organization for Competitive Markets, traditionally based in agriculture, gathered labor and manufacturing leaders together in Colorado Springs this week, reaching agreement in the emerging debate about American current globalization and free trade policies.  The effort was the first conference of an important upcoming series entitled “Free Trade and Globalization: American Opportunity or Risk to Economy and Security?”

“Farmers, ranchers, workers and manufacturers are all in this together.  The old global trade agenda has failed on every level and harmed America’s economic strength,” said Fred Stokes, Executive Director of OCM.  “This meeting is one of the first to focus on a long range plan for a new global trade agenda.”

Keynoting the event was Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who has long been concerned with trade policy and its affects the American workers, farmers and ranchers. Governor Schweitzer criticizes current U.S. trade policy as being unfair to American workers, domestic manufacturers and American farmers.

The debate over trade and globalization has never been more important.  While increased global trade can have benefits, current treaty language often unnecessarily creates harm to economic security, national sovereignty, food systems and national security.

“We’re spending like a drunken sailor on a Saturday night, buying these foreign goods, made with cheap labor under deplorable conditions,” said Stokes. “We are in favor of fair trade that benefits the United States, not trade policy that causes ballooning deficits and a hollows out our economy.”

The harm has affected us all as imports soar, exports stagnate and outsourcing flourishes.  Forty thousand small and mid-sized manufacturing companies have gone out of business in the last 10 years.  America’s historic agricultural trade surpluses have been nearly eliminated since North American Free Trade Agreement implementation. Millions of workers have lost their jobs.

“Some foreign goods are cheap at the point of purchase but what is the true cost?” asked Stokes. “If trade is not a two way street, what is the price being paid in job loss, farmer bankruptcies and manufacturing plant closures?  Must we agree to trade treaties that trump our U.S. Constitution and allow new routes for foreign companies to sue our towns and cities in court?  What about the price in misery paid by those who produce these goods?”