For too long, debates over international trade have been dominated by corporate elites and economic ideologues, rather than rooted in the experiences of ordinary Americans. 

The Trade Stories Project allows people who have been affected by policies and institutions like NAFTA and the WTO to share their views on a matter crucial to the global economy. 

This includes displaced workers, farmers, small business owners and immigrants who have been typically excluded from the trade debate.

Andrew Lohr

Portland, OR

Andrew was a Senior Business Systems Analyst for InFocus, a manufacturer of high-end computer projectors.  He was part of a team that prepared other parts of the company for offshoring to Asia.  Eventually, his team's own support jobs were offshored.   

Hear part of Andrew's story...

“Over the course of the year, we buttoned up the factory [in Norway].  Shut down the warehouse.  And then, coming back to the U.S., I could see that if we did that there, then we would probably do that here.  

"It wasn't too long after that, that I was let go.  My position was no longer needed because I supported the production planning group and the purchasing group.  We were no longer buying parts to build or planning to build projectors, so when those departments left, I left with them...