| Everyone Agrees - PTPA is Good for America!
Overheard at the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on September 11, 2007:
Thomas Catania, Vice President, Government Relations, Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI
''The U.S.-Peru TPA is expected to have a positive effect throughout the U.S. economy. According
to the International Trade Commission, U.S. economy-wide imports from Peru are expected to increase
by $439 million, while U.S. exports to Peru are expected to increase by $1.1 billion. That is
an 8% increase in Peru exports and a 25% increase in U.S. exports. These figures do not even consider
the positive impact of the elimination of non-tariff barriers, which will facilitate and reduce costs on U.S.
exports even more.''
David Winkles, Jr., President, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Oswego, SC
''The PTPA will allow the United States to compete with Peru's other Latin
American trading partners that are currently supplying a large percentage of the Peruvian food
and fiber market based on preferential access to the market. Chile has a 28-percent share of the
Peruvian food market, and Colombia and Argentina each have an 11-percent share. Our share
currently stands at 8 percent and fluctuates widely from year-to-year given our role as a residual
supplier.''
H.E. Michael Kantor, Partner, Mayer Brown, Washington, DC
''[T]he U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is now the kind of trade
agreement that is worthy of the support of Congress and the American people. The
agreement reached by the leaders of the Democratic party in Congress and the
Administration ha[s] created a supportable TPA. This is a comprehensive agreement that
will provide economic benefits to both the United States and Peru.''
Patricia Forkan, President, Humane Society International, Washington, DC
''The text of the PTPA does provide for the
creation of further opportunities to enhance environmental protection in Peru. Most importantly,
the PTPA environment chapter includes important provisions that HSI and HSUS believe will
help to promote improved governance and stewardship in Peru, and permit citizens and Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to have their voices heard on important environmental
issues.''
Thea Lee, Policy Director and Chief International Economist, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC
''We welcome the progress made by the new Democratic leadership in the House of
Representatives in negotiating improved provisions in key sections of pending free trade
agreements, including the U.S.-Peru TPA....The new provisions on workers' rights and the environment negotiated by Ways and
Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin
represent significant progress in crucial areas that we have fought to achieve for many years.''
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|  | |  | | Did you know?
| | | The total increase in United States farm exports associated with the PTPA could exceed $705 million per year, including items such as fruits, vegetables, tallow, and other high-value processed products.
-American Farm Bureau Federation
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| | | | Overheard
| | | ''I think to deny Colombia a free trade agreement would go down as one of the biggest foreign
policy mistakes in our hemisphere in our time.
-U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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