In today’s uncertain economy, President Obama has many challenging issues to address. The top issue within the International Trade community is probably free and reduced duty trade programs. Importers and exporters alike are concerned over his opinions on these programs. President Obama has made it quite clear that he disapproves of the current arrangements. While some believe he will do away with current agreements and disapprove pending agreements, he has stated the opposite pushing for reform rather than dissolution. He has stated that global trade is unsustainable if it favors only the few (speech in Berlin 07/24/08). He has also stated that it is impossible to turn back globalization, and that if we could, we would be worse off (speech in Flint, MI 06/15/08). Listed below are the key points that President Obama is concerned about and will work toward improving:

• Enforcement of existing, and creating stronger labor, safety, and environmental standards in countries with which we have active trade agreements. Existing labor, safety, and environmental laws are not being adhered to and properly enforced in countries we have active trade agreements with. Obama’s mission is to ensure enforcement of current laws is utilized before even considering new trade agreements.

• Creating transition assistance for displaced workers. For the Americans who find themselves jobless due to the export of manufacturing jobs to cheaper labor countries, President Obama wants to create transitional assistance in the way of job training, and reduced educational costs or grants to those who need to learn a new trade applicable in our upgraded job market.

• Enforcement of existing safety laws against Chinese products. President Obama wants to ensure that quality and safety sacrifices are not being made in exchange for lower prices.

• Amendments to NAFTA labor agreements.

• Firmly opposing CAFTA until labor and environmental standards are adhered to. Due to the disregard of the environmental and labor requirements that were set, President Obama does not support the current CAFTA agreement.

• Evaluating subsidized programs for “mega-farms” and lack thereof for smaller farms. President Obama believes that NAFTA should benefit the “many” and not the “few” (http://www.businessweek.com). The existing allocation of subsidized funds is mostly beneficial for the mega-farms, and leaves the small family farms struggling to compete. In Mexico for example, many small family farms receive only about 15% of their profits in the way of subsidy which is barely enough to buy seeds and fertilizer. They are not granted enough to install irrigation systems, or purchase necessary machinery to make their farms more profitable and competitive. For this reason, they are limited to producing only one crop a year - when and if enough rain falls.

• Plans to re-invest in communities affected by globalization. President Obama wants to financially assist communities that were highly dependant on manufacturing jobs that have since been exported to other countries.

• Improvement of labor and human rights standards for China trade. President Obama reiterates that existing labor and safety laws must be adhered to in China so that the standards that are set for the benefit of our own citizenry apply to others as well.

• Tangible benefits of fair trade to the U.S. The existing non-tariff rate barriers being imposed at the border (export vs. import) do not balance fairly in some cases. President Obama would like to see the U.S. benefitting equally from free trade.

• Supports free trade with Oman.

• Extension of trade restrictions on Burma to promote democracy. President Obama realizes the influence that the U.S. - a super power among nations - has on political, economic, and moral values of other nations. He understands that the trade agreements put into place indirectly support these values.

• Stronger labor standards for the pending Colombia free trade agreement.

• Re-negotiation of the Korea Free Trade Agreement. This is in regard to the non-tariff barriers that South Korea implements to keep out U.S. automobiles while exporting large numbers of automobiles to the U.S.

It is apparent that the task at hand for President Obama is not a quick and easy one. He has quite a few opinions and challenges to address. While he does not oppose free trade internationally, he disapproves of the current state the existing agreements are in. Working on enforcement, re-negotiations, amendments, evaluations, and implementations appear to be an important priority to President Obama.