It’s vital to get trade promotion authority through Congress according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Vilsack believes in order to finalize Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, which he calls an enormous opportunity for U.S. agriculture, Congress must grant the president more power to handle trade issues.
The negotiating objectives, as they relate to agriculture, are focused primarily on tariff reduction and sanitary and phytosanitary regulations established that are based on science and consistent with international regulations.
Vilsack says TPP is a good solid bill and he believes it will be close in the House and Senate.
But it all hinges on TPA.
If Congress says yes he says it allows the U.S. to go to the negotiating table and take a firm stand on any outstanding issues relating to agriculture.
Vilsack says it also would remove any excuse negotiating countries have not to put their final and best offer on the table.
