For a long time, Hawaii’s economy was a stool with three legs: Tourism, defense and agriculture. Many families across our islands have stories of parents, relatives or others who immigrated to Hawaii to work in the sugar and pineapple fields.

But in Hawaii today, we see farms and plantations that are fallow. There are many reasons why Hawaii’s agricultural industry is no longer the economic driver it once was, but one major factor is international competition.

In a speech stating his opposition to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said, “When the NAFTA was announced last year, it did not provide sufficient environmental safeguards and financing for a program to help retrain American workers displaced as a result of the agreement. It also did not address the concerns of Hawaii’s sugar industry on the export of surplus Mexican sugar to the United States.” He went on to say, “I believe that more adjustments are needed before there is a truly satisfactory agreement for the United States.”

Congress recently debated and ultimately passed legislation giving the president “fast-track” authority — the same kind of authority that brought us NAFTA. This authority allows him to negotiate a trade agreement and submit it to Congress for a yes or no vote. No changes, no amendments. No chance for Congress to make the adjustments that Inouye mentioned. I opposed the “fast-track” bill, as I have all of the trade agreements negotiated under fast track that have come up during my service in Congress.

The U.S. has been negotiating a massive, 12-country agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership for the last six years. At least three negotiating meetings have been held right here in Hawaii, including a meeting of the top trade ministers of each country last week on Maui. Talks are said to be at the final stages.

But how many of you were aware that the talks were this far along? Or that the agreement could be reached here in Hawaii? Thus far, there has not been a thoughtful public debate on an important agreement that could have implications for every industry and community in the U.S.

The negotiations surrounding TPP have taken place in secret and behind closed doors. It is difficult to know how a trade deal will affect our economy, working families, small businesses, environment and agriculture when it’s under lock and key. To date, only specially credentialed representatives and government officials have seen all the documents related to this agreement. Even U.S. senators can only review documents in closed rooms. That level of secrecy does not bode well for an agreement that supports America’s working families and communities.

Trade is important for Hawaii. We export many goods produced here in Hawaii — sugar, coffee, papaya, macadamia nuts, airplane parts, scrap metals and more. Tourism, our biggest industry, is also an export. Hawaii’s natural, diverse environment and aloha spirit draws millions of visitors to our state each year. Trade allows us to create jobs and grow our economy.

However, the top priority for our trade agreements should be to guarantee that U.S. workers compete on an even playing field and not result in a continuing shift of jobs to the countries that we made the agreements with.

The global companies that want to produce goods in low-wage countries will almost certainly do well under new trade agreements — they can afford to pay their workers in countries like Vietnam more. It is important that new trade agreements have strong, enforceable guidelines that include labor, environmental and other standards.

The final TPP agreement has yet to be released, but when it is, I will carefully review it and the impact it will have on Hawaii and middle-class and working families across the country.