The Agriculture Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) today called
on the Senate to consider and pass TPA legislation this month. In a letter
sent to each Senator, the Coalition noted that WTO meetings on agriculture
have already taken place and more are scheduled. "However, unless
the President receives the authority and necessary guidance from Congress
to negotiate these problems on our behalf, the rest of the world will
no doubt see fit to move forward on the basis of other agendas which are
not in the best interests of our farmers and ranchers."
The Agriculture Coalition for TPA represents food and agriculture groups
dedicated to the passage of legislation granting the president Trade Promotion
Authority. It is co-chaired by the National Pork Producers Council and
Farmland Industries. A copy of the letter follows:
The Senate Finance Committee reported out a strongly bipartisan Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA) bill that will enable the United States to once
again assert its traditional leadership role in international trade negotiations.
In the last four months, TPA has been awaiting action as the Senate has
focused on other important legislation. The time has come, however, for
the Senate to move ahead with TPA. The undersigned food and agricultural
organizations therefore urge action on the bill by the full Senate before
the end of this month.
The people we represent - American farmers, ranchers, food and agriculture
companies and their workers - are particularly dependent on exports for
their economic viability. For some, their future survival will depend
on the elimination of tariff inequities, subsidies, and non-tariff barriers
that are making it impossible to increase exports of food and agricultural
products. These are precisely the agricultural issues that trade ministers
agreed should be addressed in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations
that were launched last November in Doha, Qatar. However, unless the President
receives the authority and necessary guidance from Congress to negotiate
these problems on our behalf, the rest of the world will no doubt see
fit to move forward on the basis of other agendas which are not in the
best interests of our farmers and ranchers. Two formal meetings of the
special negotiating committee on agriculture have already been held in
Geneva this year and another will be held later this month.
The strong bipartisanship that has historically prevailed in the Senate
on trade matters must be re-established to allow rapid action on TPA.
We urge that this bipartisanship extend to work on other trade-related
legislation that may need to move in tandem with TPA, so that the U.S.
can regain its position as a world leader for free and fair trade and,
in so doing, open a world of opportunity for U.S. agriculture.
| Ag Processing, Inc. |
AgriBank |
| Agricultural Retailers Association |
American Cotton Shippers Association |
| American Feed Industry Association |
American Farm Bureau Federation |
| American Forest & Paper Association |
American Frozen Food Institute |
| American Meat Institute |
Animal Health Institute |
| American Peanut Coalition |
American Peanut Product Manufacturers, Inc |
| American Soybean Association |
Biotechnology Industry Organization |
| Blue Diamond Growers |
Bunge North America |
| Cargill, Incorporated |
Central Soya Company, Inc. |
| CF Industries |
Chocolate Manufactures Association |
| CHS Cooperatives |
CoBank |
| Corn Refiners Association |
CropLife America |
| Deere & Company |
Diamond of California |
| Distilled Spirits Council of the United States |
DuPont Co. |
| Farmland Industries, Inc. |
FMC Corporation |
| Food Marketing Institute |
Food Distributors International |
| Grocery Manufacturers of America |
Idaho Barley Commission |
| IMC Global |
Independent Community Bankers of America |
| International Dairy Foods Association |
International Ice Cream Association |
| Kansas Cooperative Council |
Land O'Lakes |
| Louis Dreyfus Corporation |
Milk Industry Foundation |
| Monsanto |
Nebraska Cooperative Council |
| National Association of State Departments of Agriculture |
National Association of Wheat Growers |
| National Barley Association |
National Cattlemen's Beef Association |
| National Food Processors Association |
National Grain Trade Council |
| National Milk Producers Federation |
National Oilseed Processors Association |
| National Pork Producers Council |
National Potato Council |
| National Renderers Association |
National Sunflower Association |
| National Turkey Federation |
North American Export Grain Association |
| North American Millers' Association |
Northwest Horticultural Council |
| Pet Food Institute |
Pioneer Hi-Bred International |
| Rice Millers' Association |
Southern States Cooperative |
| Sunkist Growers |
Sweetener Users Association |
| Syngenta |
Texas Grain and Feed Association |
| The Fertilizer Institute |
The National Potato Council |
| United Egg Association |
United Egg Producers |
| U.S. Apple Association |
U.S. Canola Association |
| U.S. Dairy Export Council |
U.S. Rice Producers Association |
| U.S. Rice Producers' Group |
U.S. Wheat Associates |
| Wheat Export Trade Education Committee |
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