‘The future growth of the US feed industry lies in exports’: AFIA welcomes Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill initiative

“The future growth of the U.S. feed industry lies in exports, whether it be directly, or indirectly through meat and dairy exports, and the feed industry needs the support of the administration to remove barriers to trade and enforce trade rules,”​ said Gina Tumbarello, AFIA manager of international trade. “The most opportunistic path for this is through free trade agreements such as Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.” ​

The United States Trade Representative is close to concluding negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and is digging deeper into current negotiations with the European Union on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Both trade agreements are predicted to have great benefits to the US feed industry.

According to AFIA, the TPP addresses new and emerging trade issues such as the as elimination of many non-tariff trade barriers.

While US exports to the Asia-Pacific region have grown, the share of US trade in the region has declined relative to other countries due to many countries in the region having bilateral or regional free trade agreements that give their exporters an advantage over their US competitors. TPP is a means to level the playing field for the US, said AFIA.

“Without Congressional extension of the Trade Promotion Authority, the nation’s current negotiation power is limited,”​ added Tumbarello.

“US negotiators lack the authority, ability and leverage they need to negotiate free trade agreements that will have the greatest value to the US economy and its industries. Negotiating countries must have confidence in U.S. negotiators and their ability to be held to the terms of any negotiated agreement.”​