NFTC urges Obama to join transpacific trade talks

NFTC urges Obama to join transpacific trade talks

Reinsch

   The National Foreign Trade Council on Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to move forward with negotiations to join the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) on his visit to Asia next week.
   In a letter sent to the president, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, NFTC President Bill Reinsch said the economic benefits of advancing the negotiations include the opportunity to increase U.S. exports and advance transpacific economic integration.

Kirk

   'The NFTC strongly supports deepening ties and expanding the scope of our economic and strategic relations with trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, starting with the negotiation of a TPP with Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, Brunei Darussalam, Australia, Peru and
Vietnam,' Reinsch wrote.

Locke

   'APEC economies are among the most dynamic in the world and the nations who have signed on to negotiate this next broader phase of the TPP are those willing to move forward to further reduce barriers to trade and investment. As a stimulus to recover from the global economic crisis and increase U.S. exports and create high quality American jobs, (TPP negotiations would send) a strong message to the world that American workers, farmers, ranchers and business will not sit on the sidelines as the rest of the region moves forward with market opening initiatives to assure their nations advantage in global supply chains.'
   Reinsch warned that the parties to the agreement will move ahead with or without the United States, and implored the president to indicate Americas willingness to forge ahead with the negotiations.