Democratic senators urge Trump to revamp China trade ties revise free trade deals

WASHINGTON - Three Democratic senators on March 31 urged US President Donald Trump to dramatically revise the United States trade relationship with China along with 14 free trade agreements, providing a boost to his push to revamp US trade policy.

In a letter to the Republican president, Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan welcomed the comprehensive review of trade policy Mr Trump has ordered and his push to rebuild the US manufacturing base.

Mr Trump has upended US trade policy and unsettled financial markets with a series of tariffs aimed at competitors like China and neighbours like Canada and Mexico and specific sectors like autos and metals.

He plans to announce more tariffs aimed at all countries with big trade surpluses on April 2.

The policies have sparked criticism from free trade groups and some firms, but also support from unions and some Democratic lawmakers, underscoring the bipartisan nature of concerns over the loss of 4.3 million manufacturing jobs since 2001.

The Democratic senators said changes were urgently needed after what they called flawed trade decisions made by Democrats and Republicans on trade ties with China and other countries, while calling on Mr Trump to keep the needs of workers in mind.

Free trade and globalisation have left us with offshored manufacturing, devastated communities, workers out of a job or in jobs with lower wages, and supply chains overly dependent on our adversaries in too many areas, they wrote, noting that their states had suffered disproportionately.

The senators urged Mr Trump to focus on a pro-American worker trade policy by rethinking a 2000 decision to grant China permanent normal trade relations status, which paved the way for its entry into the World Trade Organisation.

The Trump administration should also rethink its 14 free