U.S. produce suppliers risk being left behind in key emerging markets if Congress fails to approve the Trans Pacific Partnership, a leading trade official told industry leaders.
Darci Vetter, chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative, spoke Sept. 13 at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Conference and urged attendees to lobby hard for the trade agreement on Capitol Hill. Given the political rancor over the value of trade agreements, Vetter said the fresh produce industry has a story to tell about how international trade provides jobs and supports communities.“It is so very powerful and it is (a story) one we don’t hear enough of,” she said.While speaking mainly on the Trans Pacific Partnership, Vetter said the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership also remains a goal for U.S. officials. Vetter said Europe’s tariffs are roughly twice those of the U.S., and U.S. negotiators are also seeking to put in place science-based decision making processes for trade relative to biotechnology, minimum pesticide residue levels and other regulatory barriers that hinder U.S. exports.
“Any solution in a free trade agreement that provides new opportunity for agriculture will have to address both the regulatory and tariff side, and we’re very much looking at those negotiations in that vein,” she said.