Obama Touts Effort to Double U.S. Exports

President Outlines Five Year Plan in Speech to Export-Import Bank conference, but Doubts Persist

(AP)  President Barack Obama sought Thursday to put some detail behind his lofty drive to double U.S. exports over the next five years, calling the effort imperative to putting people back to work. But doubts remain about how many net jobs his trade agenda will create - and how he will get it done.

In a speech to the Export-Import Bank conference, Obama outlined steps to flesh out his trade initiative. Among them: creating a mini-Cabinet of officials to focus on exports, seeking more financing to support trade efforts, beefing up enforcement of existing trade deals and pushing for the completion of stalled ones.

"We shouldn't assume that our leadership is guaranteed," Obama said. "When other markets are growing, and other nations are competing, we've got to get even better. We need to secure our companies a level playing field. We need to guarantee American workers a fair shake. In other words, we need to up our game."

Obama's trade pitch ties directly to the top concerns of Americans - the bleeding of jobs from the U.S. He promised in his State of the Union address that doubling trade over the next five years will support 2 million American jobs, a pledge he repeated Thursday. But that's a complicated matter.

Experts say potential jobs from more exports can be negated by job losses resulting from increased reliance on products from abroad. What's more, it is Obama's own Democratic Party, backed by its union supporters, that has led opposition to stalled trade-expansion pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.

Obama sought to reframe the debate about trade. He said the average American doesn't see it as a means toward jobs or cheaper goods, but rather as a source of blame for shuttered plants and deteriorating communities.

"You can't blame them for feeling that way," he said. "Other countries haven't always played by the same set of rules. America hasn't always enforced our trade rights, or made sure that the benefits of trade are broadly shared. And we haven't always done enough to help our workers adapt to a changing world."

Still, he added: "We've got to compete in the global marketplace. Because it's never been as important an opportunity for America."

Under Obama's multitiered trade plan, a new mini-Cabinet of leaders from relevant Cabinet agencies, such as the departments of Commerce, State, and Agriculture, will keep export promotion as a priority. Obama also re-established the President's Export Council, a presidential advisory committee on international trade, and named two prominent business leaders to lead it. They are Jim McNerney, president and CEO of The Boeing Co., and Xerox Co. CEO Ursula Burns.

More broadly, Obama is promising to increase financing and advocacy for American businesses to "locate, set up shop and win" in new markets. His plan promises to get tougher in ensuring that U.S. companies have fair access to those markets, and to streamline export procedures without diminishing security.

Business groups and pro-trade Republicans are waiting to see if Obama translates his words into actions, but achieving a doubling of exports, assuming some consistency in the global economy and currency exchange rates, is certainly possible. Exports of goods and services nearly doubled in the 1990s, and nearly doubled again more recently, going from about $1 trillion in 2003 to more than $1.8 trillion in 2008, according to the Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division.

Resistance to free trade deals runs deep among many Democrats, who contend they have contributed to a loss of jobs in this country while not doing enough to protect worker rights and the environment in the partner country. Specifically, there's opposition to Colombia because of violence against labor leaders there, Panama because of its status as a tax haven and South Korea because of its restrictions on U.S. beef and auto imports.

Obama must negotiate through all of that, while also showing leadership in the long-stalled, so-called "Doha round" of global trade talks.

"Our success is my by no means guaranteed," he said. "But if we summon a sense of national purpose equal to the seriousness of these times; if we combine our creativity, our innovation, and our eternal optimism; if we come together in common cause as we have so many times before - then we will succeed."

[j_d_green]

The only thing Ursula Burns is familiar with is exporting jobs! Obama's choices of counsel certainly do lack power and true reason. A number of his choices in the last 12 months had failed to pay their taxes (what? only the poor and middle class need to pay taxes?!..the politically connected don't count?!) A few years back Ursula was a driving force behind bringing TaTa (a company in India) on board to to do RoHS (removal of hazardous substances) Conversion of circuit boards. TaTa failed miserably (how do I know, I was there, they had 6 months to do the work, when the work was returned (to U.S. Soil, the work was completed in less than 3 weeks). But Xerox continues to work with them. They (Xerox) have also signed on with HCL (another company for India) to do design work. Like many U.S. companies, Xerox is sending jobs and work overseas. Obama is a twit for making such a choice. Xerox is going into it's second year without pay raises (they are not alone). Ursula just received a $200K pay raise. But she is covered. In the same web-cast that she announced that there would be layoffs and no pay increases, she said that only those who had received promotions with additional responsibilities would receive additional money. She's covered, she was promoted from President to CEO. Those who can do, those that can't get promoted (Ursula started off as an engineer as Xerox). Being high paid doesn't make a person smart or capable. I'm certain that the 'XEROX' marque will remain for years (in Connecticut) just not as the same company that made the brand what it is. Joe Wilson would not like what is before us today. Re-think your choice of counsel Barack, those that you seek advice from are the same ones that are destroying AMERICA!!! Or is that your intention? An individual cannot borrow their way to prosperity, what make you (or any politician) think that AMERICA can?!

[tsigili]

ROTFL. The US has to MAKE something, before we can export it. We have already exported all of our manufacturing industry to China (which the government allowed), so now we no longer make anything in the US.

[iirishamerican]

Yeah he dreams alright and he talks a lot too but NO ACTION. That is the important thing right? not just to sit there at his desk and talk about it like he has done for to long now.

[skyk-2009]

If you like a leader who is willing to DREAM big dreams this is your man! He isn't one to just sit there at his desk and just keep going down the same path.. how much will work? How much won't? Only time will tell but it's safe to say THIS President is going to try different things and new ideas... that is a positive fact.

[tsigili]

Just what is it, that the US still makes, that we can export? We already exported all of our manufacturing to China.

[liberalme]

Export what??? We "exported" all out industry!

[novamba]

Now how again is Obama trying to double US exports all the while touting buy American policies with our NAFTA neighbors and bad mouthing every free trade deal on the table? cluelessness...

[skyk-2009]

novamba, it's easy to see why the RNC targets you poor people... You are so filled with hate it's EASY! LOL Now can you follow along? He wants to start up all this NEW Green Jobs, restoring our Energy Independence while creating a whole new industry for American Workers. IF you didn't spend so much time Hating the Man you might know these things for yourself. One thing is absolutely a truth. He has MORE new idea's in 5 minutes than the entire Republiklan Party has in a decade!

[ajvw]

"President Outlines Five Year Plan"

most of you are too young to remember the "five year plans" that TASS reported for the Kremlin every year.

[skyk-2009]

ajvw, so in YOUR simple and very small mind, because he wants this done in 5 years that makes him a communist? ROFLMAO Whew! Some 6th grade teacher sure missed the boat on you didn't they?? ROFLMAO

[ajvw]

skyk-2009 - actually I didn't say or imply that the man is a communist. I mearly pointed out that every year the Kremlin published their 5 year plan in TASS. You're awfully touchy.