We Need a Progressive Alternative on Trade — and NAFTA 2.0 Isn’t It

As the right has increasingly taken up opposition to trade policies from a protectionist and often xenophobic angle, the need to distinguish a left, internationalist critique of corporate globalization has never been more urgent. Progressive politicians and policymakers — from AMLO to Bernie Sanders — must unify around a progressive vision of trade to guide an international system that places people and planet over profits.

Drawing on the rich history of trade policy alternatives, some of us have developed a working paper that articulates four key pillars of a progressive trade and development agenda:

•        Human rights in the broadest sense — including economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights — must have primacy over corporate and investor rights, and there needs to be legally binding obligations on transnational corporations.

•        Democratic governments must have the policy space to pursue and prioritize local and national economic development, good jobs for their citizens, and the preservation, promotion, and restoration of public services.

•        Citizens, communities, and the environment must have the right to protection through public interest regulations.

•        A climate-friendly approach should be adopted whenever pursuing trade and investment, which can no longer be allowed to outpace the carrying capacity of the planet.

A positive, progressive trade agenda includes, but is not limited to, the following proposals:

•        Eliminate dispute settlement systems and investment protections that undercut the right of duly elected governments to regulate in the interests of their citizens and the environment.

•        Replace excessive intellectual property rights with balanced protections that encourage innovation while supporting user rights, data privacy, and access to affordable medicines.

•        Replace non-binding, unenforceable labor provisions with a floor of strong, fully enforceable labor rights and standards that enable citizens and trade unions to take complaints to independent international secretariats, which should also have the authority to proactively investigate labor rights abuses.

•        Fully recognize and respect gender and indigenous rights, including prioritizing women’s employment and economic well-being, and recognizing indigenous title to land and resources.

•        Ensure international trade agreements respect food sovereignty and the livelihoods of small holdings and family farmers by giving priority to local producers and providing a fair return for small-scale agricultural producers.

•        Enshrine binding, enforceable obligations to reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change in all international commercial agreements.

•       Remove the pressure under current services and investment rules to privatize public services.

The triple crises of democracy, social inequality, and climate change are now deeply intertwined and driving humanity to the brink. But we still have a choice. We still have time to fight for a world based on economic and social equality and ecological sustainability. Building a new multilateralism based on internationalism and solidarity is one prerequisite for getting us to that world.