TRADE SECRETS: The Hidden Costs of the FTAA

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) would have extended NAFTA to the rest of the Western Hemisphere, except for Cuba, including 31 more countries and another 400 million people. It was scheduled for completion by 2005, but faltered in the last round of negotiations in November 2003. Had it passed, it would have been the most far-reaching free trade agreement ever negotiated. The 16-minute documentary Trade Secrets examines in clear, concise language how NAFTA has impacted workers' rights, the environment, and our democracy, and how the FTAA would have multiplied these effects.

To illustrate key lessons from NAFTA's record, the film presents three case studies: an abandoned battery recycling plant in Tijuana where the U.S.-based owners deserted over 6,000 tons of toxic waste next to an impoverished community; a NAFTA lawsuit filed by the Canadian company Methanex against the U.S. government because the state of California banned the company's product MTBE, a gasoline additive that has polluted local drinking water; and a NAFTA lawsuit filed by the American company United Parcel Service against the Canadian government, charging that Canada's government-run postal and courier service creates unfair competition for private companies.

Narrated by Mike Farrell, the film includes interviews with Congressman George Miller (California), State Senator Sheila Kuehl (Los Angeles), AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Barbara Shailor (AFL-CIO Director of International Affairs), Thea Lee (AFL-CIO Economist), Katie Quan (UC Berkeley Labor Center), Kevin Danaher (Global Exchange), Anuradha Mittal (Food First), Maude Barlow (Council of Canadians), Cesar Luna (Environmental Health Coalition), Jessica Ponce Ramirez (Servicio, Desarrollo y Paz), and many others. A film by Casey Peek and Jeremy Blasi.

The video comes with an accompanying curriculum guide, "Understanding the FTAA," including a set of fact sheets, background materials, and fun interactive role plays. » Download curriculum