COVID-19, Trade and Resilience

Free trade agreements that prioritize private profits over healthy communities have made the world far less resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s dual public health and economic crises.

Incredibly, corporate lobby groups are doubling-down on calls for new trade deals that could harm us even further.

Citizens Trade Campaign and other partners launched an initial series of online town halls to explore ways to rework international trade rules in order to build a stronger, more resilient global economy.

Northwest Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19, Trade and Resilience

HELD: Tuesday, May 26 • 5:00PM Pacific

Presenters included:

• Julia Robinson of People’s Health Movement on how bad trade policies have outsourced America’s medical equipment & PPE manufacturing capacity
• Jackie Boschok of the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans on how trade-related medicine monopolies raise healthcare costs and stifle medical innovation
• April Sims of the Washington State Labor Council on how resiliency during crises is adversely affected by the global race to the bottom in wages
• Sameer Ranade of Front and Centered on how the COVID-19 pandemic provides a window into both the climate crisis and climate solutions

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Northeast Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19, Trade and Resilience

HELD: Wednesday, May 27 • 4:30pm Eastern

Presenters included:

• Dana Gill of Doctors Without Borders on how trade-related medicine monopolies raise healthcare costs and stifle medical innovation
• Bryn Gay of Treatment Action Group on myths about drug development and pharmaceutical ingredient supply chain consolidation
• Arthur Stamoulis of Citizens Trade Campaign on how bad trade policies have outsourced America’s medical equipment & PPE manufacturing capacity
• Elaine Bernard of Harvard’s Labor and Worklife Program on ways the COVID-19 pandemic provides a window into the climate crisis and climate solutions
• Sharon Treat of the Institute on Agriculture and Trade Policy on preventing a corporate-driven “shock doctrine” moment in upcoming trade deals

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California Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19, Trade and Resilience

HELD: Thursday, July 2 • 4:00pm Pacific

Presenters included:

• David Bacon on how bad trade deals have driven down working conditions and human rights standards in ways that have hindered nations’ response to the crisis
• Catherine Houston of the United Steelworkers, District 12 on how trade policies have outsourced America’s medical equipment & PPE manufacturing capacity
• Hannah Lyon of the Cancer Families for Affordable Medicine (CancerFAM) on ways trade agreements have hurt public health
• Jessica Tovar of the Local Clean Energy Alliance on ways the COVID-19 pandemic provides a window into the climate crisis and climate solutions.
• Will Wiltschko of the California Trade Justice Coalition as moderator