Senator Johanns Presses for Trade Deal with Colombia
Former ag secretary says President could send message with action.
Compiled by staff
Published: Feb 8, 2011
The push continues in Washington for approval of the pending free trade agreement between the United States and Colombia. Senator Mike Johanns, R-Neb., took the floor Monday to stress the importance of the agreement to agriculture.
"This is a golden opportunity for the President to send a signal that his words do have meaning and to show that we can work together in a bipartisan way," Johanns said. "He could submit the Colombian trade agreement to Congress for approval right today, and send an enormously powerful message that when he says pursue he means action, not stall."
Johanns says the nation's producers will benefit from final approval of the trade deal, which would eliminate tariffs on more than 77% of agricultural goods. Johanns also noted that the Andean Trade Preferences Act is set to expire on Feb. 12.
"Ninety percent of goods and services coming into our country to compete with our citizens enter absolutely duty-free," Johanns said. "Now I think we should extend the Andean Trade Preferences, but we should also knock down the barriers for our own exporters and level the playing field. We must give our workers that level playing field by approving the Colombian Free Trade Agreement."
Johanns says the frustration for producers comes from the race with Canada, which signed their agreement two years after ours. He say he will stand behind the President to get the agreement ratified in the Senate.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: free trade agreement
|