Pressure to Pass FTA's

Pressure to Pass FTA’s. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

There was some good news for northwest tree fruit growers last week when Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters there was positive movement on the Korean Free Trade Agreement. But at the same time many lawmakers are taking a stance that it’s an all or nothing deal. The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee have told U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that they want three pending Free Trade Agreements to be considered as a package deal. Committee Chair Max Baucus and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch say the South Korean FTA is unlikely to be ratified unless it's paired or closely linked to Panama and Colombia FTAs. Washington Congressman Doc Hastings has added his voice.

HASTINGS: What’s disturbing is he’s talking about free trade and I certainly support the South American Free Trade Agreement but also support the Columbia Free Trade Agreement and the Panama Free Trade Agreement. This President talks about free trade but only apparently under certain conditions wants to send up South Korea. I think all three of these trade agreements should be ratified and I think there are votes in both houses if the President would just send them up to the Congress.

Vilsack had some words for Baucus.

VILSACK: What we need to be doing is making sure that Chairman Baucus and other members of the committee are fully aware of the expanded opportunities this represents for American agriculture and a variety of products and you are talking about an additional $1.8 billion dollars of additional trade opportunities and 16-thousand jobs. These are benefits that can happen right away. These are benefits we can see immediately.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.