CWT 2007 Issue Agenda

Consumers for World Trade is a network of consumers who believe that reducing and eliminating trade barriers between nations leads to economic stability, ensures a better quality of life for all people, and reduces consumer costs while providing more marketplace choices. CWT is committed to the multi-lateral trade process embodied by the World Trade Organization. In addition, we encourage consumer activism in support of trade expanding policies and in opposition to trade reducing policies.

>>> Click here to find out how a bill becomes a law <<<

We urge Congress and the Administration to pursue trade policies that will lower costs to American consumers and increase their choices, including:

• Reform of the U.S. Sugar programs to end trade protection that limits imports of this product and increases consumer prices.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    
• Ending special protection that raises costs to U.S. consumers of, textiles, lumber, food, and other products.
  • Read our Blast Fax

We urge Congress and the Administration to continue international trade programs that reduce prices for consumers, including:

• Extending and expanding market access programs such as the Andean Trade Preferences Act, The Caribbean Basin Trade Preferences Act, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  • Read our Blast Fax

We urge Congress and the Administration to reform U.S. trade laws to recognize the role that consumers play in the economy, including:

• Repealing the Byrd Amendment, which transfers the proceeds of tariffs from the general treasury into the pockets of a few large corporations.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    
• Reforming the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws, which now aim only to protect U.S. producers, to make the laws responsive to the interests of U.S. consumers.
  • Read our Letter to Secretary Gutierrez
    
    
• Ensuring that Special Safeguards for China are fairly administered
  • Read our Blast Fax

We urge Congress and the Administration to support multi-lateral and bi-lateral trade negotiations that lower trade barriers that increase consumer costs and reduce consumer choice, including:

• Providing the President the authority to negotiate bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade agreements.

• Negotiating and implementing bilateral and regional Free Trade Agreements that benefit consumers.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    
• Negotiating and implementing a new multi-lateral round.
  • Read our Blast Fax

We urge Congress and the Administration to oppose regulatory, judicial or legislative actions on international trade issues that arbitrarily increase consumer costs or reduce consumer choices in the marketplace, including:

• Opposing legislation that imposes new tariffs on imports from China in response to Chinese currency policy.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    
• Opposing "Zeroing", a method of calculating anti-dumping duties that inflates consumer prices.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    
• Opposing mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) that would constitute a barrier to trade and increase prices of meat.
  • Read our Blast Fax
    
    

Join CWT's Free Action Network - Americans Consumers for Trade Now (ACT NOW!)