From The Wall Street Journal’s Real Time Economics blog, “White House Hopes Trade Can Bolster Labor Market“:

With the unemployment rate in double-digit territory, the Obama administration is turning to trade policy as a potential balm for the ailing labor market.

By increasing exports to rapidly growing countries like China and India, the U.S. could put a dent in joblessness and foster long-term economic growth without stressing the federal budget. But overhauling export policy is part of a White House approach that is in the early stages of execution.

The White House demanding a Congressional vote on the Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements to start with, and then Korea, would be an excellent way of demonstrate the seriousness of the Administration’s embrace of trade.

The Administration is moving ahead with needed modernization of U.S. export controls, the story notes, a priority for improving U.S. competitiveness on high-value exports.

And from Reuters, “Business urges Obama get off trade sidelines in Asia“:

We just cannot afford to be on the outside, looking in at Asia, which is where both trade and trade agreements are growing the fastest in the world,” said Frank Vargo, vice president for international economic affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers. 

Dennis Hightower, the recently confirmed Deputy Secretary of Commerce, gave a very strong pro-trade speech yesterday at Commerce’s “Trade North America” conference in Detroit (where NAM President John Engler also spoke). Excerpt:

I have only been on the job at the Commerce Department for a month, but that has given me plenty of time to identify one of the key challenges our department and the entire Obama administration faces:

Keeping trade flowing freely and fairly across our borders.

Canada and Mexico are our first and third largest trading partners—accounting for 32 percent of our total goods exports.

In North America, the U.S., Canada and Mexico—conduct nearly $2.7 billion dollars in trilateral goods trade each day.

Our economic prosperity and the jobs of millions of workers in North America depend on this trade relationship continuing to flourish.

But during these difficult economic times, we have inevitably seen a troubling rise in protectionist sentiment around the world.

Down that path lies more economic pain for us all.

Lots of good comments also regarding export controls and intellectual property protections.

So we have the Administration in favor of trade, Majority Leader Hoyer today once against endorsing Panama and Colombia trade agreements, and a big Democratic majority in the Senate.

Why the delay?