Germany's Vice Chancellor Calls Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership DEAD

With the Fruit Grower Report, I'm Susan Allen. Ag groups and growers throughout the Northwest have expressed their support the Trans-Pacific trade Partnership because of the impacts to export, and so they are watching the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership closely. Bloomberg reports it's obituary has been written when Germany's vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, said that "talk about a major trade deal between the European Union and the U.S. failed, though "nobody is really admitting it." And that the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership appears to be doomed, at least until after elections in the U.S. Meanwhile a European Commission spokeman told a reporter on Monday that the talks were not dead. Whatever the case I asked John Stuhlmiller President of Washington State Farm Bureau why should we in the NW care ?

Stuhlmiller: There is no question that TPP the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a land mark arrangement with the Pacific Rim for us and the analysis done by American Farm Bureau and others shows clearly that agriculture is the biggest beneficiary and Washington as the most trade dependent state, uniquely positioned closest to the Pacific Rim we stand most to benefit because of just time of shipping giving us an edge on the market there. What it will do is not only reduce tariffs but level the playing field for production stands and a host of other issues.

At this point not many are holding out hope that Congress will ratify TPP