Columbia, Panama, and South Korea FTAs pass House and Senate

JOHANNS APPLAUDS SENATE PASSAGE OF FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today applauded the Senate's passage of the three trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The agreements have passed the House of Representatives and will now go to President Obama for his signature.  "This is how you create jobs in America. Our country's ag producers have been waiting patiently for more than four years for this day, and I'm very happy to finally vote for these trade agreements to unleash their job-creating potential," Johanns said. "Ratifying these agreements means three expanding markets for our producers and hundreds of thousands of new American jobs. Today is a good day for American exporters and the American economy."



Fortenberry Supports New Trade Agreements

Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight and Credit, today voted to pass new trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Columbia.  “Agricultural trade is critical for the Heartland economy,” Fortenberry said.  “In Nebraska, one of the top farm export states in the nation, these agreements are very important to our grain and livestock producers.  Enforced fairly and evenly, the agreements will help our farmers gain new markets for American goods, creating opportunities for new income generation and jobs in our communities.”



Smith Praises Passage of Trade Agreements

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) today voted in support of the trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea as all three agreements passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

“The passage of these agreements will be a significant boost to job creation and economic growth for Nebraska and the entire United States,” Smith said.  “Opportunities for American workers will be created, and our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers will become more competitive with countries around the world.  I have long called for passage of these agreements, and today I was proud to vote in support of all three.”

Smith serves on the Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Trade.



Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Congressional Passage of Korea, Colombia and Panama Trade Agreements and Trade Adjustment Assistance

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today on passage by the House of Representatives and the Senate of three trade agreements expected to support tens-of-thousands of American jobs and trade adjustment assistance for American workers: 

“We are pleased that both Houses of Congress acted swiftly to support tens-of-thousands of American jobs today by ratifying trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, as well as trade adjustment assistance to help train workers for the 21st century economy. For American agriculture, passage of these agreements means over $2.3 billion in additional exports, supporting nearly 20,000 jobs here at home. Passage of the agreements also levels the playing field and secures markets for America’s farmers, ranchers, growers and producers. Immediately upon implementation of these agreements, the majority of American products exported to Korea, Colombia and Panama will become duty-free. Swift action by Congress also helped us to maintain an advantage on competitors striking their own trade deals with these nations.

“The trade agreements will also strengthen what has been a bright spot in the American economy. With record agricultural exports supporting more than a million jobs here at home, passage of these deals will contribute to a positive U.S. trade balance, create jobs, and provide new income opportunities for our nation’s agricultural producers, small businesses, and rural communities.” 



NPPC Claims Victory With Passage Of FTAs

Calling it one of the “greatest victories ever for the U.S. pork industry, ” the National Pork Producers Council lauded today’s congressional approval of the free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

“These trade agreements will be a boon for U.S. pork producers and for the U.S. economy and jobs,” said Doug Wolf, NPPC president and a pork producer from Lancaster, Wis. “Passage of these FTAs is one of the greatest victories ever for the U.S. pork industry.”

The Senate and House last night passed each of the FTAs by comfortable margins.

The deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, when fully implemented, will generate nearly $772 million in new pork sales, add more than $11 to the price producers receive for each hog marketed and create more than 10,000 pork industry jobs, according to Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes.

“It was extremely important that we approved these FTAs now,” Wolf said, “because while these deals have languished for more than four years, our competitors have negotiated their own trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, and the United States has lost market share in those countries.”

The U.S. pork industry was instrumental in getting the trade agreements approved, particularly the deal with South Korea. Last December when the United States and the Asian nation were at an impasse over trade in autos, the U.S. pork industry agreed to move back the effective date for when much of its exports enter Korea at a zero tariff rate. NPPC led the agricultural community in support of the FTAs.

“America’s pork producers are grateful to the Obama administration's trade team, including U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and to Congress for getting the trade agreements done,” Wolf said. “Now we call on the United States and these three FTA partners to get the agreements implemented ASAP. The longer it takes to implement, the more U.S. market share in these nations will be imperiled.”

Exports are vital to the U.S. pork industry, which last year shipped nearly $4.8 billion of pork, an amount that added about $56 to the price producers received for each hog marketed.



NCGA Praises Congress’ Passage of Korea, Colombia and Panama FTAs

The National Corn Growers Association today praised passage of the free trade agreements in the House and Senate.  The White House transmitted the FTAs with Korea, Colombia and Panama to Congress last week.

“The three free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama provide great opportunities for America’s farmers,” NCGA President Garry Niemeyer, a corn farmer from Auburn, Ill., said.  “Passage by Congress ensures our industry continues to lead the nation in economic growth and international competitiveness.  In addition, this action shows members of Congress understand the importance of the FTAs to rural America.”

Statistics show passage of the three FTAs could create 250,000 American jobs and add an additional $13 billion annually in exports.  The United States continues to be the largest producer and exporter of corn in the world, exporting 50.4 million metric tons last year.

Since the EU-Korea trade agreement went into effect July 1, European exports to Korea have increased 36 percent from a year earlier. U.S. farmers have already lost more than $1 billion in sales to Colombia in the two years since that country implemented a trade deal with Argentina and Brazil. The Colombia-Canada Free Trade Agreement that took effect August 15 has also put U.S. workers and farmers at a disadvantage.

“Prior to Congress’ passage of the FTAs, farmers watched as other nations received access to markets over the United States,” Niemeyer said.  “We need to keep and create jobs in America.  The FTAs will help us achieve that.”



Wheat Farmers Gratified to See Congressional Approval of FTAs

Statement from Wayne Hurst, National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) president and a wheat farmer from Burley, Idaho, and Randy Suess, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) chairman and a wheat farmer from Colfax, Wash., following Congressional passage of free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea:  “We were extremely pleased to see Congress pass on Wednesday the long-pending free trade agreements our country has negotiated with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. We have waited for the day these agreements would be taken up for many years now. Based on our work within the wheat industry, we know these agreements and others like them will help us rebuild and expand markets, grow our economy here at home and remain the most reliable supplier of wheat in the world. We strongly urge the President to sign these agreements quickly.”



US House Passes Pending Trade Agreements
— NCBA Directs Focus on US Senate

The U.S. House of Representatives today, Oct. 12, 2012, voted in favor of the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The long-awaited trade pacts will now move to the U.S. Senate for consideration. According to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald, the vote moves the agreements one step closer to implementation, which would occur subsequent to approval by the Senate and President Obama’s signature. Donald said cattlemen should consider this vote a victory.

“For several years, NCBA has been a leader in advocating immediate passage and implementation of these three job-generating trade agreements. Although politics, unfortunately, prevented immediate implementation, NCBA members rallied together contacting members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to stress the importance of liberalized trade to their family farms and ranches,” said Donald. “It is time to no longer focus on what went wrong but to direct all of our energy to ensuring the U.S. Senate passes all three agreements with no further delay.”

The Senate is expected to pass the agreements today, according to NCBA Manager of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus. He said there is bipartisan support for the agreements in the Senate.

“We are confident the three agreements will be passed through the U.S. Senate. Trade Adjustment Assistant as urged by President Obama will be linked to the agreements,” said Bacus. “The president shouldn’t waste any more time and should sign the agreements this week. We are optimistic no additional political hurdles will get in the way.”

According to the International Trade Commission, the three agreements, once fully implemented will create 250,000 jobs. The agreements, according to Donald, would level the playing field for U.S. beef by reducing and eliminating import tariffs imposed by Colombia (80 percent), Panama (30 percent) and South Korea (40 percent). Once Congress approves the free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama, Bacus said the U.S. will ultimately have free trade for U.S. beef with approximately two-thirds of the population in the Western Hemisphere.



Senate Votes in Favor of Pending Trade Pacts
— NCBA Urges President Obama to Sign Trade Deals

The U.S. Senate today, Oct. 12, 2011, voted in favor of the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The agreements are now headed to the president’s desk for final approval. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Bill Donald said Congress put differences aside to pass the trade deals. He said the president needs to follow suit and ratify the agreements immediately.

“For too long, the trade agreements have been collecting dust. Congress has finally passed all three trade pacts and the only missing component is the president’s stamp of approval,” said Donald. “NCBA has been a leader in educating members on Congress on the importance of these agreements to cattlemen across the country. We strongly urge the president to ratify the agreements today.”

According to Donald, cattlemen have a lot to gain when the agreements are fully implemented and a lot to lose with every day the pacts are stalled. He said the best example of what U.S. cattle producers have to gain is found in the FTA with Korea (KORUS). According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, annual exports of U.S. beef to South Korea are expected to increase as much as $1.8 billion once the agreement is fully implemented. Implementation of KORUS would phase out over 15 years South Korea’s 40 percent tariff on beef imports, with $15 million in tariff benefits for beef in the first year of the agreement alone and about $325 million in tariff reductions annually once fully implemented.

 “This president wants to create economic wealth and repopulate rural America. Doing anything to stymie free and open trade will do anything but create jobs and opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small businesses,” said Donald. “We support the president’s goal to increase exports. We need him to end the five-year delay and sign all three agreements.”