--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that when it comes to issues of…" description: "\"I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but I also think it is important to make sure th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg" --- # I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it… ![“I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but I also think it is important to make sure that we are putting in place the labor standards, the environmental standards, that are going to provide some of a fighting chance for American…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg) > “I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but I also think it is important to make sure that we are putting in place the labor standards, the environmental standards, that are going to provide some of a fighting chance for American workers.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing free trade with strong labor and environmental protections benefits American workers. **In simple terms:** Trade should protect workers and the environment. Key Takeaway Support trade, enforce standards. Themes trade labor rights environment economics policy Mood concerned optimistic Type political policy When to use this quote - policy debates - legislative hearings - business negotiations Key Concepts fair trade regulation sustainability worker protection Questions to Reflect On - How can standards be enforced without harming competitiveness? - What trade-offs are acceptable for worker safety? A Different Perspective Trade can increase costs for consumers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-workers/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Issues Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues-trade-1371741/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-standards-2876578/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Trade Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-think-1947840/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [In May 2007, congressional Democrats and the Bush administration agreed to a plan to include environmental and international labor standards in upcoming trade agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-easton/in-may-2007-congressional-democrats-and-the-bush-administration/) [Nina Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-easton/) > [Time after time we're told corporations should have freedom from pesky job safety regulations, environmental protections and labor standards - giving working people the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-trumka/time-after-time-we-re-told-corporations-should-have-freedom-from/) [Richard Trumka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-trumka/) > [It's true that I will not be allied with the communists. But you must separate geopolitical issues from our trade ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/it-s-true-that-i-will-not-be-allied-with-the-communists-but-you-must/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [Canada has no closer friend, partner, and ally than the United States. We look forward to working very closely with President-elect Trump, his administration,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/canada-has-no-closer-friend-partner-and-ally-than-the-united-states/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [When you work extra, you should be paid extra. That's what the Fair Labor Standards Act said. And I've met so many people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/when-you-work-extra-you-should-be-paid-extra-that-s-what-the-fair/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [I'm in favor of free trade, but I think if you had to make a choice between having technological progress versus free trade, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/i-m-in-favor-of-free-trade-but-i-think-if-you-had-to-make-a-choice/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [When you ask people, do they believe that we ought to have trade, I think people understand it's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/when-you-ask-people-do-they-believe-that-we-ought-to-have-trade-i/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [I don't think that our problem, our jobs problem, is fundamentally a problem of trade. I think it has much more to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/i-don-t-think-that-our-problem-our-jobs-problem-is-fundamentally-a/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I think there's no such thing as free trade. I think there has to be fair trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/i-think-there-s-no-such-thing-as-free-trade-i-think-there-has-to-be/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I will put on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-american-workers-are-being-denied-their-right-to-organize-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-still-need-laws-that-strengthen-rather-than-weaken-unions-and-give/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-is-the-moment-when-we-must-build-on-the-wealth-that-open-markets/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You go into a community and they will vote 80 percent to 20 percent in favor of a tougher Clean Air Act, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ruckelshaus/you-go-into-a-community-and-they-will-vote-80-percent-to-20-percent/) [William Ruckelshaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ruckelshaus/) > [During three decades from 1947 to 1977, the nation implemented what might be called a basic bargain with American workers. Employers paid them enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/during-three-decades-from-1947-to-1977-the-nation-implemented-what/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Less than 8 percent of private sector workers belonged to a union in 2004, and, overall, only 12.5 percent of American workers carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/less-than-8-percent-of-private-sector-workers-belonged-to-a-union-in/) [Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More American workers quotes > [Less than 8 percent of private sector workers belonged to a union in 2004, and, overall, only 12.5 percent of American workers carry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-chavez/less-than-8-percent-of-private-sector-workers-belonged-to-a-union-in/) [Linda Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-chavez/) > [During three decades from 1947 to 1977, the nation implemented what might be called a basic bargain with American workers. Employers paid them enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/during-three-decades-from-1947-to-1977-the-nation-implemented-what/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I am all in favor of growing the American economy and engaging in trade with the world, but not at the expense of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-yoho/i-am-all-in-favor-of-growing-the-american-economy-and-engaging-in/) [Ted Yoho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-yoho/) > [We will end the politics of profit. We will end the rule of special interests. We will end the raiding of our jobs by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-will-end-the-politics-of-profit-we-will-end-the-rule-of-special/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The TPP is another corporate-backed agreement that is the latest in a series of trade policies which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-tpp-is-another-corporate-backed-agreement-that-is-the-latest-in-a/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“The country built on the virtue and the character and the strength of the American workingman circa 1955–65 was the ideal he meant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-country-built-on-the-virtue-and-the-character-and-the-strength-of/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [American workers are first rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/american-workers-are-first-rate/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [Apparently, union bosses are so distraught about declining enrollments they will stoop to exploiting illegal workers. There is no doubt that this would hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-s-smith/apparently-union-bosses-are-so-distraught-about-declining-enrollments/) [Lamar S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-s-smith/) > [The Trump administration is dedicated to helping build, certify, and defend the Made in America brand so that American products can reach every shore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-huckabee-sanders/the-trump-administration-is-dedicated-to-helping-build-certify-and/) [Sarah Huckabee Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-huckabee-sanders/) > [Globalization has delivered many benefits for international donors, but it's the job of politicians to represent the people - and to put American workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/globalization-has-delivered-many-benefits-for-international-donors/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [While there are many illegal immigrants in America who are good people, many, many, this doesn't change the fact that most illegal immigrants are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/while-there-are-many-illegal-immigrants-in-america-who-are-good/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Besides taking jobs from American workers, illegal immigration creates huge economic burdens on our health care system, our education system, our criminal justice system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-c-ting/besides-taking-jobs-from-american-workers-illegal-immigration-creates/) [Jan C. Ting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-c-ting/) > [Through good times and bad, American workers and their families have been able to rely on Social Security to provide guaranteed protection against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sander-levin/through-good-times-and-bad-american-workers-and-their-families-have/) [Sander Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sander-levin/) > [American workers have faced serious difficulties in the labor market since the first oil shock in 1973. Since that time, the pace of productivity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/american-workers-have-faced-serious-difficulties-in-the-labor-market/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [Getting fired can produce a particularly bountiful payday for a CEO. Indeed, he can 'earn' more in that single day, while cleaning out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/getting-fired-can-produce-a-particularly-bountiful-payday-for-a-ceo/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) [Browse all 130 American workers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-workers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but I also think it is important to make sure that we are putting in place the labor standards, the environmental standards, that are going to provide some of a fighting chance for American workers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of-trade-i-think-it-is-important/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American workers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of-trade-i-think-it-is-important/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/barack-obama-17_american-workers_i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of_529740.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but I…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that when it comes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of-trade-i-think-it-is-important/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of-trade-i-think-it-is-important/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```