Washington, DC – National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) President Bill Reinsch today released a statement in response to the President’s State of the Union address.
“The NFTC applauds the President for continuing to push ahead with the U.S. free trade agenda, and we echo the President’s call for Members of Congress to consider and approve without further delay free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
“All three agreements will boost U.S. export growth and guarantee U.S. manufacturers, farmers and service providers unprecedented access to these markets, which is vital to the strength of the U.S. economy. These agreements also incorporate the environmental and labor standards included in the bipartisan consensus on trade reached by the Administration and Congress last spring.
“As an organization representing some 300 companies in a wide range of industries that drive U.S. and international economic growth, we call on Congress to seize the opportunity to level the playing field by maximizing the benefits of our economic relations with these three nations – benefits these countries already enjoy.
“We urge the House and Senate leadership to make these agreements a legislative priority in the coming weeks by setting into motion the formal Congressional review process, with committees of jurisdiction scheduling hearings and considering the FTAs as soon as possible.”
