by Webmaster

Voice Your Support for Free Trade Today

Ambassador Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative, was in Los Angeles last week to discuss the status and importance of the U.S. – Republic of Korea Trade Promotion Agreement. Ambassador Kirk stressed the importance of this Free Trade Agreement to achieving President Barack Obama's goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years.

President Obama has directed Ambassador Kirk and his negotiating team to engage with South Korea to resolve outstanding issues by the next G-20 meeting in November in Korea. Two of the key industry sectors still being discussed are autos and beef.

Ambassador Kirk stressed that 95 percent of the customers for American products and services live outside the United States. and that the capacity for these customers to purchase U.S. products and services is growing faster than consumer demand in the United States.

The rest of the world is not standing still in terms of trade agreements, Kirk emphasized. If we don't develop trade agreements with Korea and other nations, American companies and workers will be left behind.

This week, members of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce are with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Korea to promote California products and services. This trip and similar trade missions to other countries are important. But results will be dramatically greater once the U.S. – Korea Free Trade Agreement is in place and most of the current tariffs on U.S. products and services are reduced or eliminated.

Take action today to urge California's membership in the U.S. House of Representatives to lead the charge on approving the U.S. – Korea Free Trade Agreement. As Ambassador Kirk noted, California companies and their employees will be big winners.

And that's The Business Perspective.