Contact: Wayne Ranick, (412) 562-2444
(Pittsburgh) -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard issued the following statement today after President Trump announced he would permanently withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
"The President's action today rewards the long and hard-fought efforts of USW members and workers across the country to keep the TPP from coming to a vote.
"Today's action draws a line in the sand that hopefully is just the start of President Trump’s promised, pro-worker, pro-income-growth agenda that prioritizes revitalizing manufacturing. We look forward to working with the current administration on overcapacity in steel, aluminum, and on currency manipulation and other unfair trade practices.
"This should be just the beginning of a new approach on trade. We want to work with President Trump and his administration to do much more. NAFTA must be renegotiated to reclaim jobs lost to Mexico. Trade deals ranging from China PNTR to KORUS must be replaced or repealed. Ongoing negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement, the TTIP, the TISA and China BIT all must end.
"But negotiations and agreements are only part of the problem. Enforcing existing rules demands a much higher priority. Dumping, subsidies, evasion, and so many other unfair trade practices are sapping America’s industrial strength and undermining the lives and livelihoods of countless workers.
"It is important to develop the right trade policies as they create the rules that link us to the global economy. In the coming days, we will look for more details on what policies the new President intends to pursue. Rebuilding our nation's manufacturing sector and revitalizing broadly shared prosperity must be at the core of a new approach on trade."
The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries, including metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, mining and the service and public sectors.