GASTONIA, N.C. - Speaking near a North Carolina factory, GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan
lashed U.S. trade policies that he said are responsible for sending
factory jobs to Mexico and Asia.
Standing a few hundred yards from John Deere plant,
Buchanan on Thursday blamed the trade policies and the North
American Free Trade Agreement for the layoffs of 700 workers at the
Deere plant.
The plant is scheduled to close within the year, and the work
moved to Mexico.
"Why?" he asked. "It's not because these folks are doing good
jobs. It's because low wages down there are attracting more and
more manufacturing plants like John Deere."
Buchanan and his wife, Shelley, appeared before about 100 people
at the residence of Fred and Glenn Paul Rick.
Buchanan said NAFTA has sent 4,000 manufacturing plants to
Mexico.
"It's killing manufacturing in America, it's killing the good
manufacturing jobs working folks depend on," he said.
Signed into law in 1993, NAFTA restricts tariffs and allows
unfettered trade among Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Opponents like Buchanan claim NAFTA encourages American companies
to shift production to Mexico, where labor costs are far lower.
