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Article

11 May 2007

Author:
Jim Abrams, Associated Press

Agreement Reached on Trade Guidelines [USA]

Congressional Democratic leaders announced Thursday that they had forged new trade policy guidelines with the administration that will elevate labor and environmental rights to key components in future free trade agreements... But a half-dozen House Democrats with strong labor ties...later expressed strong dissatisfaction... ``The strongest voices for workers and the environment were not included'' in the negotiations..., said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio... Under the new policy, free trade agreement countries would be committed to adopting and enforcing laws that abide by basic international labor standards as outlined in a 1998 International Labor Organization declaration [Declaration on fundamental principles & rights at work]... Several business groups praised the new bipartisan approach to trade, [such as] Jim Owens, chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc., and co-chairman of the Business Roundtable's International Trade and Investment Task Force...