07/10/06 Delays on trade votes?

There's talk on Capitol Hill from some congressional leaders that votes on three trade agreements will be held up until after the November election. That makes no sense says American Farm Bureau Federation trade expert Chris Garza. GARZA "If you look at the Oman and Peru free trade agreements what we're looking at in combined total there is probably about 900 million dollars in additional agricultural trade. Vietnam we don't have the numbers quite yet but this is a situation in that we didn't have to give anything up for Vietnam, it's what Vietnam is giving up in order to gain our support." Garza says the agreements with those three countries are good for American agriculture and business, so why stall? GARZA "Leaving those items on the table and pushing them off because of elections does not necessarily send a good sign to our trading partners as well as to those who feel these agreements are important to them." Garza says the Oman and Peru agreements allow duty free access to US ag products into those countries. In the Vietnamese agreement that nation will make concessions to the US in return for American support to add Vietnam to the WTO, the World Trade Organization. Garza says Congress should approve these agreements prior to the August recess because it may be impossible to get a vote in September and October. GARZA "All these agreements are very positive for US agriculture." Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott