March 11,2010

Grassley: Export Promotion is Fine but Doesn’t Compare with Reciprocal Trade Agreements

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Reporters and Editors
Fr: Jill Gerber for Sen. Grassley, 202/224-6522
Re: President’s speech on export promotion
Da: Thursday, March 11, 2010

Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over international trade, today made the following comment on the President’s speech on increasing U.S. exports.

“I appreciate the President’s recent attention to trade. The United States has had trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea pending for almost three years. The White House says it’ll bring those agreements forward ‘at an appropriate time.’ It would be hard to think of a more appropriate time than right now. Without exports, which support jobs, the economy would be in even worse shape than it is. The President’s new efforts might make some difference in helping U.S. businesses increase their exports, but nothing compares to opening new markets through reciprocal trade agreements.”