Emergency Committee For American Trade

ECAT President Sees Renewal of Trade-Negotiating Authority as Critical for U.S. Leadership on Global Negotiations

PRESIDENT SEES RENEWAL OF TRADE-NEGOTIATING

AUTHORITY AS CRITICAL FOR U.S. LEADERSHIP ON GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS

Washington, D.C., February 12, 2007: Calman J. Cohen, President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), urged renewal of trade-negotiating authority this year:

“Renewal and revitalization of the Congressional-Executive partnership on trade – so-called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) or trade-negotiating authority – are critical for U.S. leadership and a strong Congressional-Executive dialogue on trade. We strongly support the efforts of the Administration and Congressional leaders to renew this authority quickly and in a bipartisan manner.

“Renewal of trade-negotiating authority is perhaps most important to ensure that the United States can continue its leadership role in the Doha Development Agenda negotiations. The successful conclusion of the Doha negotiations has the greatest potential to increase benefits for the widest number of consumers, farmers and businesses in the United States. With the world’s largest and most open economy – but with only four percent of its consumers – the United States has much to gain from these negotiations, but the United States can only be successful in these negotiations if trade-negotiating authority is renewed.

“Renewal of TPA is also vital for the United States to continue to seek agreements to eliminate barriers on a bilateral, sub-regional and regional basis. These negotiations, like those on the Doha Agenda, are needed to eliminate barriers abroad, enhance U.S. competitiveness, and expand the benefits of trade here in the United States and abroad.

“And, renewal of TPA is a fundamental building block of the Congressional-Executive partnership on trade, enhancing Congress’ role in developing priority negotiating objectives and providing extensive consultation requirements to promote a vigorous dialogue on future and on-going negotiations.

“Today, ECAT has joined with others in the business community as part of the Steering Committee for Trade for America to promote the renewal of TPA on a bipartisan basis. ECAT particularly looks forward to working with the Administration, Chairmen Rangel and Baucus and Ranking Members McCrery and Grassley, as well as all Members of Congress, in moving forward on the renewal of trade-negotiating authority and a growth-enhancing trade policy that is strongly in the United States’ interest,” said Mr. Cohen.

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Founded in 1967, ECAT is an organization of the heads of leading U.S. international business enterprises representing all major sectors of the American economy. Their annual worldwide sales total nearly $2.4 trillion and they employ approximately five and one-half million persons. ECAT’s purpose is to promote economic growth through the expansion of international trade and investment.

Attached Document(s): 02-12-07 ECAT Urges Renewal of TPA.pdf