Washington, DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today urged Congress to pass legislation extending funding for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) before the current expiration date of February 12, 2011. In a letter to all Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, NFTC President Bill Reinsch wrote:
“ATPA has enjoyed bipartisan support since 1992 and currently benefits hundreds of thousands of workers in the U.S. and the Andean countries which it serves, particularly in Colombia. It lowers the cost of needed inputs into U.S. manufacturing, and as a centerpiece of U.S. anti-narcotics policy in the region, provides needed jobs in the legitimate economy as an alternative to illegal production of narcotics. In the next four months alone, access under ATPA to the U.S. market for Colombian cut flowers for Valentine Day and Mother’s Day can make the difference between destabilizing hunger and unemployment and Colombia’s economic recovery from the recent devastating floods.”
About NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Over 95 Years – The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.
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