Brown critical of free trade agreements
Marietta Times – A representative from Beverly-based Globe Metallurgical joined U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Wednesday in criticizing new free trade agreements approved by Congress and backing a bill to govern future pacts.
During a teleconference Wednesday, Marlin Perkins, vice president of sales for Globe, said the company’s production of aluminum-silicon alloy is affected by barriers other countries set up for American-made automobiles. While the free trade agreements passed by the Senate Wednesday focus on tariffs, other techniques are not addressed, he said.
“If we have a chance to compete fairly on a level playing field, our workers and our company can compete with anybody,” Perkins said.
Brown voted against the free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia. In the teleconference, he said such agreements are against the national interest, undermining “Buy American” policies and costing the country more jobs than they create.
