SEATTLE – “It’s time for the United States to reclaim its leadership position on global trade, and we can only do that by getting back into the game,” said Lori Otto Punke, WCIT President. “While it’s heartening to hear President Trump suggest that trade agreements should be ‘fair and reciprocal,’ we’re missing our chance to get meaningful deals by sitting on the sidelines.
“Everyone agrees that we should have trade deals that are fair. But unfortunately we have surrendered leadership on the trade agenda – to China, Europe, Canada and others. When the United States walked away from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), other countries stepped up, and are now working to set the rules without us. You can’t get good deals if you’re not in the game. And without broader trade leadership, the American economy and jobs will suffer.
“Rather than playing defense with one-off tariffs on individual products, let’s play offense by embracing American innovation and ingenuity and setting it free to compete on a global playing field. That’s the way Americans win.”