1987: Kasich Voted Against Fighting Unfair Trade Practices. In 1987, Kasich voted against amending a trade bill to require identification of countries with excess trade surpluses with the United States and quantify the extent to which unfair trade practices contribute to that surplus, to mandate negotiations to eliminate those unfair trade practices, and, if negotiations fail or an agreement is not fully implemented, to mandate imposition of tariffs or quotas to yield annual 10 percent reductions in that country’s trade surplus.  Kasich voted for final passage of the bill, but in 1988 voted against overriding President Reagan’s veto the bill. [HR 3, Vote #72, April 29, 1987; HR 3, Vote #77, 4/30/1987; HR 3, Vote #150, 5/24/1988; Congress and the Nation, 1985-1988 (Vol. 7), CQ Press 1989;New York Times, 5/2/88; Washington Post, 5/25/88]

1991: Kasich Voted To Give Most Favored Nation Trade Status To The Soviet Union. Kasich voted for a resolution to approve the extension of non-discriminatory treatment, most-favored-nation (MFN) trading status, with respect to the products of the Soviet Union. [HJR 346, Vote # 310 11/20/1991]

1991: Kasich Voted To Approve Most Favored Nation Status With Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The resolution included MFN for Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania among other economic measures. [HR 1724, Vote #: 412, 11/20/1991]

1993: Congressman Kasich Voted For NAFTA And It Cost Ohio At Least 49,886 Jobs. Ohio lost 49,886 jobs from the signing of NAFTA from 1993 to 2004.  [Vote #575, 11/17/93;Scott et al, "Revisiting NAFTA: Still not working for North America's workers," Economic Policy Institute Briefing Paper #173, 9/28/06, p. 4]

1994: Kasich Voted To Establish The WTO Through The GATT Treaty. Kasich voted for a bill to make statutory changes to implement the new world trade agreement negotiated under the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The agreement would reduce tariffs and trade barriers, ensure stricter enforcement of world trade rules through the newly established World Trade Organization (WTO), and expand GATT rules to cover such economic sectors as agriculture, services and intellectual property. [HR 5110, Vote #507, 11/29/1994]

1995: Kasich Voted Against Resolution Repealing Clinton Extension Of Most-Favored Nation Status To China.The bill stated, “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress does not approve the extension of the authority contained in section 402(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 recommended by the President to the Congress on June 2, 1995, with respect to the People’s Republic of China.” [HJR 96, Roll call vote #537, 6/16/1995]

1996: Kasich Voted Against Resolution Repealing Clinton Extension Of Most-Favored Nation Status To China.The text of the resolution stated, “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress does not approve the extension of the authority contained in section 402(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 recommended by the President to the Congress on May 31, 1996, with respect to the People’s Republic of China.” [HJR 182, Roll call #284 6/27/1996]

1996: Kasich Voted To Give Permanent Most Favored Nation Status to Romania. Kasich voted to pass a bill to give Romania permanent and unconditional most-favored-nation trade status. [HR 3161, Vote #325, 7/17/1996]

1997: Kasich Voted For NAFTA-Type Agreement With Caribbean, Central American Countries.  Strickland Voted Against. In 1993, Kasich voted for NAFTA.  Then in 1997, Kasich voted for the US Caribbean Trade Partnership Act, which would have provided free trade benefits to Caribbean and Central American countries similar to those provided to Mexico under NAFTA.  [HR 2644, Vote #570, 11/4/1997]

NAFTA-Type Agreement Initially Included Countries, Others Approved Later. According to U.S. International Trade Commission,  “Initially only twenty countries were designated: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the British  Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti,  Honduras, Jamaica, Montserrat, the Netherlands Antilles, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St.  Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.  Subsequently, other countries were named  beneficiaries: the Bahamas (March 1985), Aruba (April 1986, retroactive to January1, 1985), Guyana  (November 1988), and Nicaragua(November 1990).” [ U.S. International Trade Commission, 09/2008]

1997:  Kasich Voted Against Giving Federal Loan And Grant Preference To Companies That Adopt Worker’s Rights Standards For Their Work In China. In 1997, Kasich voted against directing the Export-Import Bank to give preference to those U.S. firms seeking assistance for activities in China who have adopted and adhered to a code of conduct consistent with internationally recognized human and workers’ rights. [HR 1370, Vote #472, 9/30/1997]

1998: Kasich Voted Twice To Establish A Free Trade Policy For Africa. Kasich voted for a bill to set a new trade and investment policy towards the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, including authorizing the president to grant duty-free treatment to, and requiring the development of, a plan to enter into one or more free trade agreements with eligible sub-Saharan African countries. [HR 1432, Vote # 46 and 47, 3/11/1998]

1998: Kasich Voted To Give Morocco Special Trade Status Under The Same Bill. Kasich voted for an amendment that would give the president discretion, subject to congressional approval, to designate Morocco as eligible to participate in the programs established by the Sub-Saharan Africa trade bill if the country otherwise meets the eligibility requirements and if that designation is in the national interest of the United States. [HR 1432, Vote #45, 3/11/1998]

1999-2000: Kasich Twice Voted For A Special Trade Deal For Africa. The bill would extend certain trade preferences to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa. The bill would grant duty-free status to many products of the region, with a particular focus on textile and apparel items, and would seek to promote private investment in the nations of the area. The bill would require countries to adopt market reforms, remove trade barriers, and adhere to human rights standards to take part in the trade program. [HR 434, Vote # 307, 7/16/1999; Vote # 145 5/4/2000]

African Trade Bill Extended Trade Benefits To 48 African Nations, With 6-8 Specifically Receiving Immediate Benefits. According to the New York Times, “In approving a broad trade bill with Africa last week, the House gave President Clinton an important carrot to bring on his trip to the continent later this month. The legislation, which still needs Senate approval, promotes private United States investment for the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, many of which are some of the poorest in the world. Nations are eligible for preferential treatment if they move toward democracy and free-market economies… Only countries demonstrating progress in adhering to human rights, a commitment to a free-market economy and a reduction of tariffs would be eligible. House aides said of the region’s 48 countries, 6 to 8 might qualify now, including South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana and the Ivory Coast.” [New York Times 3/18/1998]

2000: Kasich Voted To Keep The U.S. In The WTO. Adoption of the joint resolution would withdraw congressional approval from the agreement establishing the World Trade Organization. [HJR 90, Vote # 310, 6/21/2000]

2000: Congressman Kasich Voted For Permanent Free Trade With China And It Cost Ohio At Least 91,800 Jobs. In 2000, Kasich voted for normalizing trade relations with China, paving the way for China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.  Since then, Ohio has lost at least 91,800 jobs as the trade deficit with China has increased. [Vote #228, 5/24/00; Dallas Morning News, 5/25/00; Chicago Tribune, 5/25/00; Economic Policy Institute, 5/23/10; Akron Beacon Journal, 3/24/10]

2000: Kasich Voted Against Repealing Clinton Extension Of Most-Favored Nation Status To China. The text of the resolution stated, “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress does not approve the extension of the authority contained in section 402(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 recommended by the President to Congress on June 2, 2000, with respect to the People’s Republic of China.” [HJR 103, Roll call #405 7/18/2000]