Trade

In our own day, the State finds itself having to address the limitations to its sovereignty imposed by the new context of international trade and finance, which is characterized by increasing mobility both of financial capital and means of production, material and immaterial. This new context has altered the political power of States.
--Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, No. 24, 2009

Background, February 2011

Trade agreements have human consequences and moral dimensions.  A number of trade agreements are expected to come before the new Congress, including agreements with Korea, Panama, and Colombia.

The  global trade talks and negotiations—called the "the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), or Doha Round—which were due to conclude by the end of 2006, have not been completed. The United States and other nations have turned to bilateral and regional trade agreements instead.  The same concerns that existed at the beginning of the Doha Round  (human rights, agriculture, labor rights, the environment, intellectual property, the role of multinational corporations, etc.) apply to these smaller free trade agreements (FTAs).

Without the so-called  President's Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which  expired in  June 2007, the President  of the United States cannot  negotiate trade agreements without  the possibility of  having them altered by Congress.

Bilateral trade agreements

The U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2009 and incorporated important and enforceable provisions into the trade agreement text, including labor and environmental protections, as well as relaxing intellectual property provisions previously negotiated to allow greater access to affordable medicines. It is the first agreement incorporating provisions that protect the environment and labor rights.

The  U.S.-Colombia  Free  Trade Agreement: The  Obama  Administration has made passage of a similar agreement with Colombia one of its legislative priorities.  In April 2008, the Bush Administration sent the Colombia FTA to Congress for consideration without prior agreement from Congressional leadership.  It has been stalled in Congress since then.   Although it is gaining momentum in Washington DC,  the U.S.-Colombia trade  agreement  may  face serious obstacles in Congress because of Colombia's  past record  on protecting human and labor  rights.  There are also concerns with  rural displacement, the environment, and lack of access to patented medicines by the poor.  The new President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, has made human rights a high priority, although the jury is out on how much progress will be made. The United States also hopes to reach trade agreements with Panama and South Korea. 

Trade Preferences: Since 2008, Congress has committed to a reexamination of its various trade preference programs to ensure that they are working to promote development in poor countries. Originally designed to offer preferential access  (quota-free and duty-free) to the U.S. market for goods from very poor countries, these preferences focus on just a few commodities, e.g. oil, that have not contributed to broad-based growth in least developed countries.  USCCB seeks to improve these trade preference programs by advocating they focus  instead  on commodities that poor countries can produce and to which the United  States can give access.  USCCB was also very engaged in the extension and improvement of the trade preferences program for Haiti (HOPE/HELP).  (See Haiti Background for more information.) 

USCCB Position

USCCB has addressed  diverse  aspects of international trade. Rather than take positions for or against complex trade agreements, the Conference has offered ethical criteria to help guide policies on trade.  These criteria were applied to the  U.S.-Peru  Free Trade Agreement and continue to be the focus of USCCB advocacy with regards to the current trade agreements under discussion, especially the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement.  In November 2003, the U.S. Catholic Bishops issued the statement For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food: Catholic Reflections on Food,  Farmers and Farmworkers,  which  articulates the Conference's specific policy on agricultural trade as reflected in the criteria below. 

USCCB Criteria on Trade

Domestic Farm Policy

• The U.S. should target agricultural supports to small and moderate income farmers and to programs that promote sustainable agricultural practices and rural development.

International Trade Policy—Subsidies, Tariffs and Quotas, and Differential Treatment

• Wealthier  countries should reduce the subsidies, tariffs, and quotas that severely constrict poorer countries in their ability to market their own products and sustain their own agriculture.
• Developing countries should be given some flexibility (technically referred to as "special and differential treatment") in using appropriate subsidies, tariffs, quotas, and other support measures to make sure they have sufficient food supplies, enhance rural incomes, and promote rural development.

Having a Voice

• Trade documents should be made available during the process of negotiation for  review and public comment.
• Major elements of civil society, including groups representing the poor, business, labor and religious communities, should have greater access to participation in the negotiation process.
• Wealthier  countries should provide technical assistance to help poorer countries be able to participate more fully in trade negotiations and to ensure that sectors that would not benefit from the agreements are supported.

Labor and Environment

• Trade agreements should treat labor and environmental concerns as integral to trade agreements and not as peripheral matters.
  Trade agreements should lead to economic and social improvements at home and abroad, particularly for poor and vulnerable workers and their families; this can be accomplished by adopting internationally agreed upon labor standards and by ensuring there is a safety-net in sectors that would be affected by the agreements.
• Trade agreements should foster the right to organize and bargain collectively.
• Trade agreements should encourage and  not undermine the ability of poor countries to promote environmental protection and sustainable agricultural practices.

Migration

• The impact of trade on migration should be concretely addressed when trade measures are considered

Resources

Background on Natural Resources
February 2013

Background on Extractive Industries
February 2012

Background on Trade
February 2012

Letter to Senate Committee on Finance Regarding  Trade Agreements
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 6 , 2011

Letter to House Committee on Ways and Means on Trade Agreements
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, March 24, 2011

Letter to the SEC on Proposed Conflict Minerals Rules
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 8, 2011

Letter to the SEC on Proposed Extractives Transparency Rules
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 9, 2011

Background on Trade
February 2011

Background on Extractive Industries
February 2011

Letter to Senate Committee on Finance Regarding  Trade Agreements
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, April 6 , 2011

Letter to House Committee on Ways and Means on Trade Agreements
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, March 24, 2011

Letter to the SEC on Proposed Conflict Minerals Rules
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 8, 2011

Letter to the SEC on Proposed Extractives Transparency Rules
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and Ken Hackett, February 9, 2011

Background on Trade
February 2011

Background on Extractive Industries
February 2011 

Resources on Trade dating before 2011

Letter to the USTR on the operation of the Andean Trade Preferences Act
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, June 23, 2010

Letter in support of the Energy Security Through Transparency Act - S 1700
Bishop Howard Hubbard, May 3, 2010

Letter Supporting the Conflict Minerals Act, S. 891
Bishop Howard Hubbard, February 19, 2010

Background on Extractive Industries
February 2010

Letter Supporting the Conflict Minerals Trade Act - HR 4128
Bishop Howard Hubbard, December 17, 2009

Letter to Congressional Committees on the Effects of Excessive Speculation in the Food Crisis
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, May 6, 2009
House Agriculture Committee (PDF)
House Financial Services Committee (PDF)
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (PDF)
Backgrounder on International Food Crisis
February 2009

Backgrounder on Extractive Industries
February 2009

Background on Trade
May 2008

USCCB Testimony on US Preference Programs before Senate Finance Committee delivered by Fr. Andrew Small OMI
June 12, 2008

Letter on Trade Measures
February 25, 2008

Background on Trade
February 2008

Action Alert: Real Reform on the Farm Bill
July 25, 2007

Action Alert on Farm Bill -- Status Quo Not Acceptable
June 26, 2007

Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Secretary Paulson, and Ambassador Schwab on Trade Policy
May 18, 2007

Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill
March 16, 2007

Background on Trade
February 2007

Action Alert: Contact Your Representative Urging Support for the Haiti Trade Preferences in HR 6142
CRS and USCCB, October 13, 2006

Letter to House Representatives Urging Support of HR6142: Trade Preferences to Haiti
Bishop Thomas Wenski, September 25, 2006

Letter to Ambassador Schwab on Trade Relationship Between the United States and Vietnam
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, August 24, 2006

Clock is Ticking on Global Trade Talks
Bishop Thomas Wenski, June 30, 2006

Action Alert: Trade Preferences for Haiti
CRS and USCCB, June 22, 2006

Update on Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty
June 2006

Backgrounder on Trade
April 2006

Letter to Secretary Rice Urging Support for Trade Preferences for Haiti
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Ken Hackett, April 10, 2006

Letter to Ambassador Portman Urging Support for Trade Preferences for Haiti
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Ken Hackett, April 10, 2006

Backgrounder on Trade
February 2006

Letter to Senate and House Majority and Minority Leader on the Hope Act
Bishop Thomas Wenski, December 7, 2005

Letter to US Trade Representative on Free Trade Agreement with the Andean Nations of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
Bishop Thomas Wenski, November 28, 2005

Action Alert: Urging Leadership to Break the Deadlock in the Doha WTO Round
November 9, 2005

Background on Trade
October 2005

Joint Communiqué of the Latin American and North American Bishops
September 8, 2005

Statement Reacting to G8 Summit
Bishop John Ricard, July 11, 2005

Action Alert: Call President Bush Before G8 Summit
June 29, 2005

Letter to President Bush before G-8 Summit
Bishop William Skylstad, June 28, 2005

Letter to Congress on CAFTA
Bishop John Ricard and Bishop Robert Lynch, June 16, 2005

Background on Trade
June 2005

Action Alert: Evaluate CAFTA with Moral Criteria
April 28, 2005

Letter to Sen. Grassley on Agricultural Subsidies
April 1, 2005

Communiqué of Andean and U.S. Bishops
February 10, 2005
Spanish

Background on Trade
February 2005

Background on Development Assistance
February 2005

Letter to Ambassador Zoellick on Trade Negotiations in Doha Development Round
Bishop John H. Ricard, July 26, 2004

Joint Statement on United States-Central American Free Trade Agreement (US-CAFTA)
USCCB and Bishops' Secretariat of Central America (SEDAC), July 21, 2004
Spanish

Trade Backgrounder
April 2004

Background on Trade
February 2004

Recommendations to the USTR
Catholic Relief Services, October, 2003
Spanish

Statement on the WTO Meetings in Cancun
Bishop Ricard, September 10, 2003

Letter to Ambassador Zoellick on Current Global Agricultural Trade Negotiations
Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Bishop John H. Ricard, March 24, 2003
Spanish

Letter to Ambassador Zoellick on Proposed Trade Agreement for Central America (CAFTA)
Bishop John H. Ricard, February 11, 2003
Spanish

For the Dignity of the Land, For the Dignity of Mexico
Mexican Bishops Social Action Commission, January 2003
Spanish

Backgrounder

Letter to Congress on Fast Track Authority
Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, November 5, 1997

A Catholic Framework for Economic Life
U.S. Catholic Bishops, November 1996

A Decade After "Economic Justice for All:" Continuing Principles Changing Context, New Challenges
U.S. Catholic Bishops, November 1995

Letter on NAFTA to US Senate
Msgr. Robert N. Lynch, November 8, 1993

Letter on NAFTA to USTR Kantor
Msgr. Robert N. Lynch, June 29, 1993

Statement on NAFTA to USTR Hearings
Bishop Anthony M. Pilla, September 9, 1991

Letter on NAFTA to USTR Clara Hills
Msgr. Robert N. Lynch, June 4, 1991

Economic Justice for All
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, November 13, 1986