PEC Endorses Administration Push for TPA
The private sector members of the President’s Export Council (PEC) endorse the administration’s decision to secure Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in collaboration with Congress, said PEC Chair James McNerney in a Sept. 19 letter to President Barack Obama marked “draft only.” McNerney submitted the letter the day after Obama appointed seven new members to the PEC (see 13091915). The U.S. faces different trade challenges since the last passage of TPA more than 10 years ago, said McNerney, adding that TPA will ensure internal U.S. trade negotiating functionality and foreign confidence in U.S. “footing.”
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“In the intervening years, many trade barriers continue, while new ones have emerged,” said McNerney in the letter. “TPA legislation is critical to renew America’s trade leadership in the world and to provide important tools to negotiate, secure Congressional approval of, and implement pending and future agreements.” Many lawmakers and industry leaders insist TPA must be in place prior to bringing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) legislation to Congress (see 13091118). U.S. trade officials continue to eye the end of 2013 for the conclusion of TPP negotiations (see 13083021).