The Trans-Pacific Partnership could help significantly reduce forced labor by putting pressure on partner nations to end the practice entirely, the White House argued Tuesday.
President Barack Obama and his administration negotiated the massive trade deal over the past several years. It was finalized Oct. 5 after a fierce debate which divided the president from many within his own party. The White House released a fact-sheet summarizing how the trade deal could help reduce forced labor.
“[It] includes enforceable obligations on labor rights, including on the elimination of forced labor and to address trade in goods produced by forced labor,” the fact-sheet states. “Specifically targets trafficking concerns in trading partners, such as Malaysia, by requiring reforms in law and practice to better protect vulnerable populations and to prosecute traffickers.”
The trade deal provides additional tools for federal agencies already working to reduce forced labor. The president’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) was started in 2012 to help federal agencies and private sector partners work together to address the issue.
“In implementing this ambitious agenda, the Obama Administration has focused on four priority areas: rule of law, victim services, procurement and supply chains, and public awareness and outreach,” the fact-sheet also states. “PITF agencies are leveraging resources more effectively and developing robust whole-of-agency responses to combat trafficking.”
The trade deal covers 12 countries including some known for notorious labor violations. Communist Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are among those partner countries cited for labor and human rights violations. The trade deal is also likely to have a significant impact on global trade at roughly 39 percent of global GDP. It is the largest regional trade deal in history.
Critics have compared the deal to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which they claim resulted in many American jobs being lost. The president, though, has said the deal could help fix many of the problems NAFTA caused. It is designed to gradually end thousands of import tariffs and other international trade barriers. It would also establish uniform rules for intellectual property, environment protections and open Internet access.
The White House has claimed the deal will help workers despite what unions claims. Vietnam is now required to enact laws so that workers can form unions independent of the government. Workers will also be able to strike over wages, hours and working conditions. Such rights have been commonplace in the United States and many other developed countries.
The trade deal will face significant opposition in Congress when it comes up for a vote. Most Democrats and many Republicans oppose it. Nevertheless it has already managed to overcome a major challenge with the passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). It was passed by Congress in June after a bitter fight in both the House and Senate. It allows the president to make trade deals with a straight up or down vote without amendment or filibuster.
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