Press Release

Administration Launches Fall Effort to Pass Pending Trade Agreements and Boost U.S. Exports

Capitol Hill rally today & new website, TradeAgreements.gov, will provide information on
Peru, Colombia, Panama and Korea agreements

WASHINGTON—Key members of the President’s Cabinet joined Senator Chuck Grassley at a trade rally on Capitol Hill to launch the Administration’s fall effort to pass pending trade agreements and boost U.S. exports. The effort kicks off with the launch of an interagency web site to provide the public with the latest information on America’s trade agreements. The site is a joint effort between the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, State, Treasury and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

“In 2006, American businesses and workers exported a record $1.4 trillion, and through June of this year exports are up 11 percent to $779.2 billion.” said Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez. “The story of America’s growing export culture needs to be told. TradeAgreements.gov will provide a one-stop-shop for those interested in learning about America’s trade policy and how it contributes to our nation’s economy.”

“The more Americans know about how existing free trade agreements have created economic opportunities and expanded consumer choices, the more they will support free trade agreements we have concluded with Peru, Colombia, Panama, and Korea, which are now pending before Congress,” said U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab. “The facts available at this website make a compelling and definitive case for trade.”

“There is broad recognition that U.S. agriculture enjoys enormous benefits from existing free trade agreements and the pending agreements hold the same promise for our farmers and agribusinesses,” said Johanns. “Export growth is vital to our agricultural economy and these free trade agreements would help to ensure that we continue the record-breaking trend in agricultural exports by providing U.S. agricultural products with access to these countries that has already been granted to their products entering the U.S. market.”

Department of Agriculture Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecasts a record $79 billion in agricultural exports this year. Johanns highlighted the value of free trade agreements during a visit last week to El Salvador and Guatemala. Under the Central America Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), U.S. exports to CAFTA-DR countries increased by 19 percent in 2006, despite the agreement still being in its infancy. Johanns also announced that USDA will lead a trade mission to Central America in 2008. Each of the pending agreements with Peru, Panama and Colombia would provide immediate duty-free access for more than half of the current U.S. farm exports. Current access for U.S. agricultural exports to these countries ranges from little to no duty-free entrance, yet more than 99 percent of agricultural products from these countries enter the U.S. market duty free.

Department of Commerce Efforts
Secretary Gutierrez is leading a delegation of 14 Members of Congress to Latin America on Sept. 12-15 to visit with government, business, labor and civil society officials on the role pending FTAs with Peru, Colombia and Panama could play in promoting positive social change, and economic growth and opportunity.

The interagency website will include press releases, speeches and fact sheets on existing and pending trade agreements. It also features state-by-state impact reports, industry sectoral reports and the status of pending agreements.

Background:
Bilateral free trade agreements are one of the best ways to open up foreign markets to U.S. exporters. Currently more than 100 regional trade agreements are being negotiated around the world. Today, the United States has implemented FTAs with 14 countries. Last year, trade with countries with which the United States has FTAs was significantly greater than their relative share of the global economy. Although comprising 7.5 percent of global GDP, not including the United States, those FTA countries accounted for more than 42 percent of U.S. exports.

Visit www.tradeagreements.gov for more information.