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Promoting democracy by challenging corporate globalization
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Fair Trade Archive: GTW E-Newsletters, Action Alerts, and Updates 
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Global Trade Watch (GTW) promotes democracy by challenging corporate globalization, arguing that the current globalization model is neither a random inevitability nor "free trade." For our latest updates, visit our blog, Eyes on Trade, or see our featured publications. New Report! Closing Santa's Sweatshop
GTW has updated our 2007 toy safety research with a new report, Closing Santa's Sweatshop: How to Deliver on Obama's and Congress' Toy Safety and Fair-Trade Promises (PDF), including updated data and a new section on campaign pledges on import safety made by President-elect Obama and new members of Congress. The United States is expected to import $23 billion in toys in 2008, 90 percent of that from China. Imports this year represent 90 percent of U.S. toys, which is the highest toy import level and share on record. Many nations producing our children's toys have extremely lax safety standards and enforcement. Yet, while toy imports exploded by 562 percent from 1980 to 2008, the budget of the agency responsible for toy safety, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), was cut by 23 percent, with staffing cut nearly 60 percent during the same period. Read our press release or the full report, Closing Santa's Sweatshop (PDF). Election 2008: Fair Trade Gets an Upgrade
From the presidency to both chambers of Congress and from traditionally "free trade" Florida to Colorado and New York to New Mexico, successful candidates in 2008 election races ran on a platform of fundamental overhaul of U.S. trade and globalization policies including a growing number of Republicans, with a net increase in Congress of at least 30 fair trade supporters, according to our new report, Fair Trade Gets an Upgrade (PDF). The number of fair-trade pick-ups in Congress may increase depending on the results of several races not yet called. For more information, please see:
You can also listen to our Nov. 6 press conference call (MP3), featuring GTW Director Lori Wallach, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rep.-Elect Larry Kissell (D-N.C.), Rep.-Elect Mark Schauer (D-Mich.), and Steelworkers President Leo Gerard. G-20 Declaration Calls for Completion of WTO Doha Round - Ignorance or Cynicism? At the G-20 meeting on November 15th, world leaders failed to require significant changes to existing World Trade Organization (WTO) rules locking in and exporting worldwide an extreme financial services deregulatory agenda that fostered the global economic crisis, seriously threatening proposed solutions. That the summit statements called for completion of the Doha Round of WTO expansion is maddening, given one of the three core pillars of the WTO is further service-sector deregulation and liberalization, including in financial services. Click here for our full statement on the G-20 summit. Public Citizen Supports Landmark Trade Expansion Legislation
Following a presidential primary season highlighting broad public concern about current trade and globalization policies, the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act introduced on June 4, 2008 by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine, pictured above at podium) reveals a way forward to a new trade and globalization agenda that could benefit more Americans. The bill is supported by a broad array of labor, consumer, environmental, family farm and faith groups and more than 50 House and Senate original cosponsors. Check out our One Stop Fact Sheet for Activists to win a new way forward to fair trade (PDF) For more information, please see our full press release, 2-page overview fact sheet (PDF), and the final House legislation (PDF).
RIP Doha Round On July 29, 2008, the latest Doha Round WTO expansion negotiations came to a screeching halt. GTW Director Lori Wallach said, "Thank God no deal was reached, because the proposal under consideration would have exacerbated the serious economic, food security and social problems now rocking numerous countries... Now that WTO expansion has been again rejected at this 'make or break' meeting, elected officials and those on the campaign trail in nations around the world - including U.S. presidential candidates - will be asked what they intend to do to replace the failed WTO model and its version of corporate globalization with something that benefits the majority of people worldwide." Read GTW's full statement on this latest Doha Round collapse. Take action: Stop the Colombia FTA In early April, President Bush sent his NAFTA expansion to Colombia to Congress over the objections of Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Democrats. Speaker Pelosi reasserted congressional authority over the bill by removing the Fast Track treatment of the bill. The Bush administration's blatant disregard for the Democratic Congress' concerns regarding the Colombia FTA spell doom for this already fatally flawed NAFTA expansion. Help us put the final nails in the coffin and urge your member of Congress to publicly oppose the Colombia FTA! New report: Presidential Candidates' Key Proposals on Health Care and Climate Will Require WTO Modifications Global Trade Watch has just released a new report demonstrating how the overreach of WTO rules is highlighted by potential conflicts with proposals made by presidential candidates regarding health care reform and climate change. See more here, or download the full report (PDF).
Note: The above "Santa's Sweatshop" source photo by Flickr user "Megandavid," used under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
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