BROWN, WARREN STATEMENT ON USTR'S CALL FOR USITC INVESTIGATION OF UNEQUAL IMPACTS OF TRADE ON WORKERS

Press Release

Today, United States Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released the following statement in response to the Office of the United States Trade Representative's (USTR) request that the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) launch an investigation of the unequal impacts of trade and trade policy on American workers, especially underrepresented and underserved communities.

"We are glad USTR is following through on its commitment to pursuing a trade policy that centers workers, environmental protection, and racial equity and is calling on the USITC to investigate the effects of trade on workers and underserved communities. Instead of working for American workers and families, U.S. trade policy has worked very well for giant corporations for far too long. It's time we assess the impacts of trade policy on all workers and on the economy as a whole so that we can negotiate better trade agreements going forward," Senators Brown and Warren said in a joint statement.

USTR requested that USITC prepare a public report that reviews information on these unequal impacts on workers, and expand its research and analysis capabilities so that all future trade impact work includes this type of equity analysis. USTR is the lead federal agency for trade policy and negotiation. USITC is an independent federal agency that provides analysis of international trade issues to the President and the Congress.

USTR's request follows a letter from Senators Brown, Warren, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) urging the USITC to improve its analysis of trade deals. The lawmakers' request followed a USITC June 2021 report that used flawed models of the U.S. labor market and did not provide insights on how trade affects workers differently based on their region, race, and other characteristics.

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