Obama likely to seek changes in pending FTAs for labor, environmental standards: report

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- The incoming Barack Obama administration will likely seek changes in pending as well as existing free trade deals to strengthen labor and environmental provisions, a U.S. law firm said Tuesday.
In a report, Akin Gump said, "An Obama administration will likely seek to
strengthen the labor and environmental provisions of U.S. trade agreements. This
might include changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as
additional requirements in bilateral pacts such as the U.S. Colombia Trade
Promotion Agreement currently pending in Congress."
The report is in line with Obama's election pledge not to accept the pending
South Korea FTA "as it stands" and renegotiate the NAFTA once he is elected. The
president-elect has also labeled the Korea FTA as "badly flawed."
Some say Obama's strong wordings were election year rhetoric to woo voters,
especially from labor unionists, while others say he is seriously against what he
deems as unbalanced free trade deals with foreign governments.
"There is little doubt that President-elect Barack Obama will break with his
predecessor and seek to set a different course for U.S. trade policy," the report
said. "A centerpiece of his campaign was a tougher trade policy that emphasized
security for U.S. workers and improved labor and environmental standards in trade
agreements."
The report also expected that Obama will place greater emphasis on monitoring and
enforcement of existing U.S. trade agreements.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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