The ‘Greening’ of Trade Agreements: Environmental ‘Window Dressing’ and NAFTA

Abstract

Historically the public debate surrounding trade policy has boiled down to a discussion about jobs. Trade advocates have argued that increased trade in U.S. goods creates jobs for U.S. workers. Organized labor has argued that trade agreements pit higher-paid U.S. workers against lower-paid workers from developing countries. The resulting trade policy has been based less upon available statistical evidence than on the ability of interest groups to influence the political process surrounding negotiations.

The author is currently trade analyst for the Sierra Club Center for Environmental Innovation. The arguments in this paper do not necessarily represent the views of the Sierra Club or its members. I am particularly thankful to Ruth Hennig and the John Merck foundation for financial support. All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the author.