Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/706755
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 29 WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 29 Holst Truck Parts has been serving the western United States for over 80 years, as a family owned and operated company we strive to make every customer happy and to fulfill everyone's needs and questions. HOLST TRUCK PARTS 10209 North Yellowstone Highway • Idaho Falls, ID 83401 208-522-1788 • 800-769-5688 - holsttruck@atcnet.net • www.holsttruck.com If it's on a truck We sell it! If it's on a truck We sell it! GOOD USED AND REBUILT ENGINES • TRANSMISSIONS • REARENDS All Parts Guaranteed All Parts Guaranteed 159950HolTru13.indd 1 3/21/16 9:11 AM AWARD FOR PARTICIPATION Why the U.S. should participate in the TPP National Potato Council John Keeling Executive Vice President & CEO We must negotiate tough. Our leaders are focused on not allowing a bad deal for the U.S. to occur. We've negotiated trade agreements before, and they have proven successful. Highlighting the major benefits TPP would have on agriculture is a way to get ag onto the crowded political radar. Among broad sectors of the U.S. economy, agriculture and food would see the greatest percentage gains in exports under the TPP. If you want to elevate agriculture and the U.S. economy, help the NPC promote the message that the TPP is good for America and good for potatoes. Let's make sure American agriculture remains a competitor on the world stage. This agreement is a must for America, and it's important for the economic fabric of the world. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an Asian-Pacific regional free trade agreement among 12 nations including the U.S., will open new markets for American exports of agricultural and manufactured goods and services to countries in Latin America and Asia by removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to those exports. For potatoes, the potential market is huge; some estimates put it at nearly $2 billion after 10 years of enactment. The removal of tariffs in Vietnam alone would open up a $10 million market for frozen french fries. With the confirmation of multiple economic benefits in the report by the International Trade Commission, the question now is, how can we afford not to participate in this agreement? The U.S. has an established place in the world as a major exporter and the largest consumer market in the world. The No. 1 potato export market as of calendar year 2013 was Japan, and No. 4 was China. If the U.S. were to halt or slow supplying these countries with potatoes, competitors such as New Zealand and Australia would step in and reap the economic benefits. Without the TPP, that could happen too. In the big picture, removing the U.S. from the equation means a loss of economic power and declining American exports. We must acknowledge, of course, that there are concerns America could lose jobs under this agreement. That's why we must negotiate tough. Our leaders are focused on not allowing a bad deal for the U.S. to occur. We've negotiated trade agreements before, and they have proven successful. U.S. agricultural trade with Canada and Mexico has nearly doubled since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), according to the USDA Economic Research Service. Increased trade helps all the countries involved. We can't sit back and let the opportunity to improve our economy and national security sail by. For the past few months, agriculture has not featured in the rhetoric of presidential hopefuls. Neither of the presumptive nominees supports TPP.