Senate OKs Trade Priorities And Accountability Act

Posted by Christina Herrick|May 26, 2015

Late on the evening of Friday, May 22, the U.S. Senate approved the Trade Priorities And Accountability Act (TPA) of 2015. This act establishes congressional trade negotiating objectives and enhanced consultation requirements for trade negations and to provide for consideration of trade agreements. This act will allow Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to continue.

“Standing still is not an option. Our farmers and ranchers face exorbitant tariffs and others barriers in important foreign markets, and if we do not act to maintain and gain market share in these places, our competitors will. U.S. agriculture’s interests are best served by ensuring America is at the table with strong negotiating authority,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a statement from the agency.

According to Vilsack, agriculture exports from the U.S. totaled more than $150 billion and supported approximately 1 million U.S. jobs in 2014.

“Creating new partnerships and expanding access to international markets will drive us forward in the global marketplace,” Bob Stallman, president of American Farm Bureau Federation said in a news release. “The Senate’s bipartisan passage of trade promotion authority legislation today brings us a step closer to completing ambitious trade negotiations around the world. Congressional support is critical to breaking down trade barriers and completing ambitious new trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. TPA streamlines negotiations and strengthens our position at the bargaining table. We urge the House now to act swiftly in passing trade promotion authority to protect the future of agricultural trade.”

Prior to the Senate’s passing of the act, Chris Schelect spoke to KSOR radio about the impact the TPP would have on the apple industry in the Pacific Northwest.