U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk testified at the Senate Ag Committee Hearing Wednesday morning. Ambassador Kirk said USTR is seeking to resolve outstanding issues on the pending agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. At the President's direction Kirk said his office is focused on resolving outstanding issues with the Korea agreement by the G20 Summit in November. Also USTR is leading negotiations of a new, high-standard, 21st century Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement that will ensure American farmers and ranchers access to the region's dynamic and growing markets for decades to come.
The American Soybean Association supports the need for Congress to approve pending Free Trade Agreements, extend Presidential Trade Promotion Authority and normalize financial relations with Cuba. ASA Vice President Danny Murphy, a soybean producer from Canton, Miss., who also testified Monday said Congress needs to approve pending Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama as well as negotiate new FTAs with key importing countries. He said progress also needs to be made on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation regional agreement.
Additional testimony came from USA Rice Federation; USA Rice Producers' Group; Tyson Foods and the National Grape Cooperative Association.
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