State of California Archives: on Free Trade


Alex Padilla: Urge China to lift tariffs on U.S. wines

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla joined Sen. Jeff Merkeley in pushing U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to lobby China to stop its 54% tariff on American wine. "Vintners that were shipping pallets worth of wine are now only shipping cases, or none at all, as Chinese consumers turn to wine from other countries," the letter said. China imposed the tariffs during a vicious trade war with the U.S. during the Donald Trump administration.
Source: KPIX CBS-San Francisco on 2022 California Senate race May 11, 2021

Carly Fiorina: Change rules about outsourcing; current climate forces it

"Liberals will say I was let go by my board in 2005 and outsourced some jobs overseas," she says bluntly. "But I took the company through the worst technology recession in a generation and created jobs on a net basis. As for the outsourcing, the tax and regulatory climate made it almost impossible not to do that--which is why we have to change it."
Source: Wall Street Journal, "Reboot California" Nov 30, 2009

Duf Sundheim: Inclined to support Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact

Sundheim would have voted `yes` on Trade Promotion Authority and is inclined to back the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact between the U.S. and its Asian allies.
Source: Washington Examiner on 2016 California Senate race Jun 4, 2015

James Bradley: Negotiate trade agreements that put America first

Source: 2021 California Senate campaign website BradleySenate.com Jun 29, 2021

Jerry Brown: Open CA trade and investment office in Shanghai

California's exports are booming and our place in the world economy has never been stronger. Our ties with The People's Republic of China in particular are deep--from the Chinese immigrants crossing the Pacific in 1848 to hosting China's next President in Los Angeles last February. This year we will take another step to strengthen the ties--I will lead a trade and investment mission to China with help from the Bay Area Council and officially open California's new trade and investment office in Shanghai
Source: 2013 State of the State address to California Legislature Jan 24, 2013

Kamala Harris: TPP doesn't offer sufficient worker protections

Kamala Harris told reporters that she opposed the TPP trade pact because it didn't offer sufficient worker protections. Loretta Sanchez tends to present herself as an economic moderate. But she did Ms. Harris one better. Not only did Rep. Sanchez reiterate her opposition to TPP, but she also joined a protest line of union carpenters outside the convention center, in full view of television cameras, reporters and delegates.

Ms. Harris had previously been circumspect on the trade deal, but Rep. Sanchez's entry into the race has created a situation in which neither candidate wants to risk alienating the Democratic base on such a highly charged issue. If there were any doubt that both candidates had made the politically safe decision, they were quickly put to rest by the rapturous response that Sen. Elizabeth Warren elicited when she told the crowd that TPP would "leave American workers in the dirt."

Source: Wall Street Journal on 2016 California Senate race May 19, 2016

Kevin Faulconer: Supported USMCA trade pact, chaired pro-trade group

Faulconer met with President Trump to discuss the treaty that would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The meeting was announced in a pool report, "Mayor Faulconer discussed the importance of the USMCA and his ongoing advocacy for the agreement." Faulconer is co-chair of the US-Mexico Border Mayors Association and chair of the Trilateral Alliance for Trade in the Americas. The mayor has supported closer business ties between San Diego and Tijuana.
Source: San Diego Union Tribune on 2022 California governor race Jun 18, 2019

Kevin Faulconer: NAFTA has been phenomenally successful

NAFTA has been phenomenally successful. In just a couple of quick examples: trade between Mexico and the U.S. moving through San Diego has increased threefold, about $60 billion each year alone. Our exports have grown. It's a strength. It's a competitive advantage and one that we're going to fight to continue.
Source: N.P.R. Marketplace on 2022 California gubernatorial race Sep 11, 2017

Loretta Sanchez: Opposes TPP; joined union protests against it

Kamala Harris told reporters that she opposed the TPP trade pact because it didn't offer sufficient worker protections. Loretta Sanchez tends to present herself as an economic moderate. But she did Ms. Harris one better. Not only did Rep. Sanchez reiterate her opposition to TPP, but she also joined a protest line of union carpenters outside the convention center, in full view of television cameras, reporters and delegates.

Ms. Harris had previously been circumspect on the trade deal, but Rep. Sanchez's entry into the race has created a situation in which neither candidate wants to risk alienating the Democratic base on such a highly charged issue. If there were any doubt that both candidates had made the politically safe decision, they were quickly put to rest by the rapturous response that Sen. Elizabeth Warren elicited when she told the crowd that TPP would "leave American workers in the dirt."

Source: Wall Street Journal on 2016 California Senate race May 19, 2016

Mark Meuser: Encourage US manufacturing, don't rely on foreign industry

The shortages at stores of things we use on a daily basis or wanted to give as gifts during the holidays illustrated how reliant we are on goods manufactured overseas. We need policies that allow for and encourage manufacturing in the United States so that we are not reliant on foreign governments or industries for the products we use on a daily basis.
Source: 2022 California Senate campaign website MarkMeuser.com Sep 18, 2022

Ro Khanna: Trade agreements fair to U.S. workers & environment

95% of the world's consumers live overseas, yet only about 1% of American companies export. In addition to making American businesses--especially small businesses--more competitive, free and fair trade grows the economies of participating nations.

We need free trade agreements that are fair to U.S. workers and industries, and that include high environmental standards. As a former senior official in the U.S. Commerce Department focused on trade and manufacturing, I know what it takes to open up markets to American products and understand how to promote American exports abroad. I'll work tirelessly to improve America's manufacturing policies and increase our global competitiveness.

[We should] increase funding to the Manufacturing Extension Project. California's decline in manufacturing jobs is particularly sharp. Without a strong base of manufacturing here in Silicon Valley, we lose the infrastructure to develop better products and innovative technology.

Source: 2016 California House campaign website RoKhanna.com Nov 8, 2016

  • The above quotations are from State of California Politicians: Archives.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Free Trade.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
2016 Presidential contenders on Free Trade:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI)
Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023