Expanding international trade is vital to the success of America’s farmers and ranchers. To make that expansion happen, Congress must approve trade promotion authority, the American Farm Bureau Federation said today.
“Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) today introduced legislation that greatly benefits American agriculture and farm families across the nation. This bipartisan effort advances an important policy objective just as the administration is engaged in major trade talks such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said.
The world’s leader in agricultural exports, the United States has much to gain through congressional approval of TPA. The U.S. is coming off a record year of $152 billion in agricultural exports. TPA will help keep that trend moving forward.
“TPA streamlines negotiations and strengthens our position at the bargaining table,” Stallman said. “The growth of U.S. agriculture depends on our ability to compete in the international marketplace. We will cede potential markets and economic leadership to our competitors if we cannot negotiate and ratify trade agreements through TPA.”
Stallman explained that TPA is central to completing key trade negotiations already underway. “The U.S. is on the brink of completing its most ambitious trade agenda in years,” he said. “We stand to lose billions of dollars in future U.S. farm exports if Congress fails to pass these vitally important bills.”
NOTE: The following chart shows top U.S. exports during the 2014 fiscal year.
