Rogers voted to established normal trade relations and since China received permanent normal trade relations status, Michigan has lost over 90,000 manufacturing jobs.
Rogers supported the Central American Free Trade Agreement and lobbied other lawmakers to support the agreement. The agreement was opposed by the Michigan AFL-CIO who said the deal would hurt Michigan jobs.
Rogers voted for a free trade agreement with Oman which was criticized by the AFL-CIO as potentially leading to shipping jobs overseas.
2000: Mike Rogers Said He Would Have Voted Yes On Permanent Normal Trade Relations With China. According to the Lansing State Journal, “The House voted Wednesday to grant permanent normal trade status to China. The measure is expected to win full Senate approval early next month. […] U.S. Rep. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, who is running for the U.S. Senate, voted no against the deal Wednesday. Her opponent, U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Auburn Hills, supports the deal. The two state senators who want to take Stabenow’s seat in Congress are similarly split. Sen. Dianne Byrum, D-Onondaga, said she opposes the deal on human rights, environmental and labor rights grounds. Sen. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, said he would vote yes provided there was adequate monitoring to make sure the Chinese honored their side of the bargain.” [Lansing State Journal, 5/25/00]
2000: Rogers Supported Expanded Trade With China And NAFTA. According to the Associated Press, “Both Byrum and Rogers said they see problems with the North American Free Trade Agreement and expanded trade with China. But Byrum said she opposes the deals while Rogers said he supports them.” [Associated Press, 9/28/00]
Since China Was Granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations, The United States Lost 3.4 Million Manufacturing Jobs. According to the Coalition For A Prosperous America, “In 2001, China was granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) which confirmed as permanent China’s Most-Favored Nation (MFN) status, making our low tariff levels on imports from China permanent in the eyes of industry. The certainty of MFN prompted a huge investment boom in China by U.S., Chinese, and global multinationals. Last year, the U.S. ran a $382.3 billion trade deficit with China, a result of imports of $536.3 billion compared to U.S. exports to China of only $154.0 billion. Since 2001, the U.S. goods trade deficit with China has grown by $299.2 billion and reached a cumulative total of $6.1 trillion of annual goods deficits with China. In 2001, the U.S. had 17.1 million manufacturing jobs. By 2022, that total had fallen by 24% to reach 12.97 million manufacturing jobs. If employment in the manufacturing sector grew at the same pace as the rest of the economy since 2001, there would be 7.1 million more manufacturing jobs than exist today. Our analysis finds that the trade deficit with China accounts for nearly half (47.9%) of the manufacturing job loss. Our model estimates the number of jobs in each metro/micro area displaced by imports including jobs dependent on those manufacturing industries.” [Coalition For A Prosperous America, 9/20/03]
Rogers Cited His Support Of General “Free Trade” When Questioned On His CAFTA Vote Plans. According to Gannett News Service, “As the House prepares to vote on a free trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Caribbean's Dominican Republic, Michigan lawmakers face protests by organized labor and sugar-beet farmers. [...] Mid-Michigan Republican Mike Rogers said he would vote ‘Yes,’ in part because he supports free trade. Schwarz and Rogers have very few sugar-beet farmers in their districts. Rogers, R-Brighton, noted that the trade pact is supported by more than 50 other farm groups, including the Michigan Farm Bureau. ‘In a jobs-hungry economy like Michigan's, this agreement will open up more markets, especially for auto, agriculture, and other U.S. workers,’ Rogers said.” [Gannett News Service, 7/24/05]
Rogers Said That CAFTA Was “A Step In The Right Direction.” According to a transcript of the a hearing of the Subcommittee On Commerce, Trade, And Consumer Protection Of The House Energy And Commerce Committee, “REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-KY): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ms. Vargo, for attending today. It's important. I'm a free trader and I'm encouraged to see some of the agreements that you reached in CAFTA that I thought were, I think, a step in the right direction. I have one concern. And I think what you're seeing here are there are those here who aren't going to be for trade no matter what, and there are those who support trade no matter what. And I think there's kind of a coming together in the middle of those of us who are concerned about the fact that the enforcement part of the USTR has -- I can't say been a failure, but it has been abysmal at best.” [Transcript – Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Commerce, Trade, And Consumer Protection Of The House Energy And Commerce Committee, 4/28/05]
Rogers Said “I Think It Is Important That We’re Going To Knock Down A Whole Bunch Of Trade Barriers In The Central American Region.” According to a transcript of the a hearing of the Subcommittee On Commerce, Trade, And Consumer Protection Of The House Energy And Commerce Committee, “REP. ROGERS: And we just need to be fair in all of those arguments. Now, that being said, I think it is important that we're going to knock down a whole bunch of trade barriers in the Central American region, a pretty important -- I hope you can talk to me a little bit about the tariffs on automobiles. Right now there's about a 10 percent tariff on U.S. automobiles going to the region. How will this agreement affect the selling of U.S. automobiles?” [Transcript – Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Commerce, Trade, And Consumer Protection Of The House Energy And Commerce Committee, 4/28/05]
Rogers Joined Lobbyists And The Agricultura Secretary To Lobby Undecided Lawmakers On CAFTA. According to Congressional Quarterly Today, “With several trade-friendly Democrats announcing this week that they will oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement, top administration officials and other supporters of the agreement will step up efforts next week to win over undecided lawmakers. More than 100 lobbyists, joined by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, Rep. James P. Moran, D-Va., and Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., met Thursday in the Capitol to identify undecided members and design a strategy for turning them into CAFTA supporters. ‘We rolled up our sleeves and took assignments,’ said Calman Cohen, who heads the Emergency Committee for American Trade, a pro-trade business group.” [Congressional Quarterly Today, 5/5/05]
2005: Rogers Voted For The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). In July 2005, Rogers voted for legislation that according to Congressional Quarterly, “implement[ed] a free trade agreement between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and a separate pact with the Dominican Republic.” The agreement with the seven countries was known as the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The House passed the bill by a vote of 217 to 215; subsequently, the Senate also passed the bill, and the president signed it into law. [House Vote 443, 7/28/05; Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/05; Congressional Quarterly, 7/25/05; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3045]
Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney: CAFTA Would Cause “More Manufacturing Job Loss Here In Michigan” And Harm Michigan’s Sugar Beets Industry. According to a Mark Gaffney op-ed in the Lansing State Journal, “Just like NAFTA, CAFTA will do a whole lot more than reduce barriers for trade. We can count on even more manufacturing job loss here in Michigan. Just as a trade deficit emerged with Mexico, CAFTA will add to that deficit and add to the vicious trade cycle: imports rise faster than exports, the deficit grows and ultimately, jobs in the United States are lost. Jobs here in Michigan are lost. We in Michigan are well aware of the painful costs of NAFTA. In its first 10 years, NAFTA was directly responsible for 879,280 American jobs lost. Michigan has lost 223,000 manufacturing jobs in the past five years alone. And CAFTA will strike at the heart of a Michigan industry other than manufacturing. Sugar beets are grown in 18 Michigan counties and produce some 900 million pounds of sugar for the domestic market; that's fourth in the nation. Introducing nontaxed Central American sugar would either oversupply the U.S. market and collapse the price, or force American producers to cut back on their production so significantly that regions like the Michigan Thumb area would be forced to exit the sugar business.” [Mark Gaffney op-ed – Lansing State Journal, 7/14/05]
2006: Rogers Voted For A Trade Agreement With Oman. In July 2006, Rogers voted for a bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “implement[ed] a trade agreement between the United States and Oman. It […] reduce[d] most tariffs and duties currently affecting trade between the two countries, reduce[d] barriers for services and increase[d] protections for intellectual property. The pact also [] urge[d] each nation to comply with internationally recognized labor principles.” More specifically, according to the Washington Post, “The agreement would immediately remove all duties on industrial and consumer products traded between the two countries and eliminate textile and apparel tariffs on a product-by-product basis over five years. All Omani farm exports to the United States would immediately become tariff-free, and tariffs on 87 percent of U.S. farm exports to Oman would be lifted immediately; remaining barriers on U.S. farm exports would be phased out over 10 years.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 221 to 205. Later, the Senate passed the bill without amendment, and it was signed into law by the president. [House Vote 392, 7/20/06; Congressional Quarterly, 7/20/06; Washington Post, 7/23/06; Congressional Actions, H.R. 5684]
Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney: Oman Free Trade Agreement Would Lead To Shipping Michigan Jobs Overseas. According to a Mark Gaffney op-ed in the Lansing State Journal, “These additional protections provided in OFTA effectively forbid generic competition for extended periods and would further limit access to affordable medicines. By opposing the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement, Congressmen Joe Schwarz, R-Battle Creek and Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, can help protect jobs in their districts instead of shipping them out by ‘a slow boat to China, a train to Mexico or by the Internet to India,’ as our governor is fond of saying. For these two congressmen, this is a make-or-break vote for their districts. I can only hope that this time they make the right decision and vote against OFTA with the interests of their constituency in mind - rather than for it, with the interests of the big-business lobbyists in mind.” [Mark Gaffney op-ed – Lansing State Journal, 7/13/06]
2011: Rogers Voted For The Free Trade Agreement With Colombia. In October 2011, Rogers voted for a bill that according to Congressional Quarterly, “implement[ed] a trade agreement between the United States and Colombia. The agreement […] reduce[d] most tariffs and duties on goods traded between the two countries, reduce[d] barriers to trade in services, increase[d] protections for intellectual property and require[d] Colombia to take steps to strengthen its labor and environmental enforcement standards.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 262 to 167. The bill was later signed into law by the president. [House Vote 781, 10/12/11; Congressional Quarterly, 10/12/11; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3078]
2011: Rogers Voted For The Free Trade Agreement With Panama. In October 2011, Rogers voted for bill that, according to Congressional Quarterly, “would implement[ed] a trade agreement between the United States and Panama. The agreement would reduce[d] most tariffs and duties on goods traded between the two countries, reduce[d] barriers to trade in services, increase[d] protections for intellectual property and require[d] Panama to take steps to strengthen its labor and environmental enforcement standards.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 300 to 129. The bill was later signed into law by the president. [House Vote 782, 10/12/11; Congressional Quarterly, 10/12/11; Congressional Actions, H.R. 3079]
Rogers Supported The Trans-Pacific Partnership’s Efforts To Expand Free Trade While Arguing For The Need To “Enforce Fair Trade”, Citing “Asian Currency Manipulation” That Is “Destroying Jobs In Michigan” And Noting His Work To Increase Funding For Greater Trade Enforcement. According to a constituent letter from Representative Mike Rogers, “Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns with the Trans-Pacific Partnership. [...] I believe America has the best workers in the world, and while I support efforts such as the TPP negotiations to expand free trade, I believe that we must enforce fair trade. That is why I introduced the first Congressional resolution addressing Asian currency manipulation. In violation of international trade law, many countries are holding down the value of their currencies relative to the U,S dollar. In effect they are able to drive up the cost of American made goods and artificially lower the cost of foreign goods. Led by China, this currency manipulation is destroying jobs in Michigan, and it must stop. I promise that I will continue to use every tool available to me to end currency manipulation. [...] For far too long our own government has focused on negotiating new trade deals but has never seriously tried to enforce the agreements our partners have made. That is why I have repeatedly worked to increase funding for trade enforcement and worked to establish a one stop shop for trade enforcement.” [Constituent Letter – Mike Rogers Collection At Oakland University, Undated From Mike Rogers Collection]
Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber Said The Trans-Pacific Partnership Was “The Last Thing Michigan Needs.” According to a Ron Bieber op-ed in the Detroit News, “The last thing Michigan needs is another bad trade deal. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the recently-announced Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) represents. This new trade agreement will be up for debate in Congress soon, and it’s a perfect example of what not to do when it comes to crafting trade policies that are good for Michigan families, and our auto industry. We’ve seen this story before. The politicians and corporate think tanks in Washington make lots of promises about how many jobs each new trade agreement will create. NAFTA and CAFTA were supposed to put an end to undocumented immigration, and the Korea FTA was supposed to help the auto industry and create 70,000 jobs. But none of those promises materialized. Instead, manufacturing in Michigan has taken a beating. Just look at the numbers. Last year alone, Michigan’s trade deficit was a staggering $66.8 billion — one of the highest in the entire country. And in the 21 years since NAFTA was signed into law, Michigan has lost more than 254,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs.” [Ron Bieber Op-Ed – Detroit News, 10/21/15]