New Commerce Secretary: A Supporter of Fair Trade?

From Yahoo! News:

Obama trade pick vows 'fair trade' push

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US commerce secretary nominee Gary Locke, the first ever Chinese-American US governor, vowed Wednesday to pursue "fair trade" with countries like China and South Korea if confirmed to the post.

But he sidestepped a lawmaker's call for "a brawl" with Beijing on currency and trade issues and an invitation to criticize a US-South Korea free trade deal that one senator said was digging an ever-wider trade deficit.

Locke, whose nomination requires Senate confirmation, promised the Senate's commerce committee he would fight to protect US intellectual property rights and vigorously enforce the rules of existing US trade pacts.

"More than free trade, though, I believe in fair trade," he said in the confirmation hearing.

"That means we must enforce our trade agreement and place a high value on environmental, labor and safety standards," he said, warning that failure to do so was "putting American workers at a competitive disadvantage."

If confirmed, Locke would run a giant agency tasked with enforcing US trade laws, but also managing the transition to digital television later this year as well as the 2010 population census that will decide the states' share in federal monies as well as their representation in the US Congress.

Senators repeatedly quizzed him on those subjects as well as on thorny trade issues, including the commercial relationships with China, Colombia, Mexico and South Korea and concerns about protecting intellectual property rights.

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And From the Wall Street Journal:
MARCH 30, 2009, 6:07 P.M. ET

Locke Vows to Push for 'Fair Trade'
By AMY SCHATZ

WASHINGTON -- Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in an interview that he will push for "fair trade" and said countries seeking open trade with the U.S. should abide by "minimum standards" for environmental and safety regulations.

"I've always believed in fair trade. I believe it's appropriate that there's minimum standards that other countries should abide by if we're allowing their products to come in to the United States," Mr. Locke said during an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

"If the apple growers of Washington State have to abide by all these environmental and health and human safety standards and the workers of other countries don't have to, it puts Washington State apples at a disadvantage," said Mr. Locke, a former governor of Washington State. "Same thing with Boeing airplanes. If other countries are able to significantly subsidize the cost of development and production of an airplane then it puts Boeing at a competitive disadvantage and it hurts the aerospace workers of America."

Mr. Locke's comments, during an interview on his first day on the job, echo the sentiments of many congressional Democrats and U.S. unions skeptical of the benefits of free trade. They have called on the administration to curb access to the U.S. markets for countries with less stringent environmental and labor safety rules.

Congress recently cited safety concerns as the justification for blocking access for Mexican trucks on U.S. highways outside a border zone. The Mexican government retaliated by slapping tariffs on about $2.4 billion worth of U.S. products ranging from grapes to toiletries. President Barack Obama is trying to defuse the conflict.

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NPR interview, "Commerce Secretary Sounds Off On Trade, Census"
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