WASHINGTON - Eight former secretaries of agriculture -- serving U.S. Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton -- urged the Clinton Administration and Congressional leaders to take action to assure prompt passage of fast-track legislation.
"Fast-Track is critical to American agriculture, being able to compete and prosper in the years ahead," they said in a letter that was sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and four agricultural Congressional leaders.
The AG for Fast-Track Coalition fully supports this letter. The Coalition is comprised of more than 60 U.S. agricultural groups and businesses, representing leading agriculture commodities and processed food products.
The letter was signed by the following former secretaries of agriculture: Orville Freeman, Kennedy and Johnson Administrations; Clifford Hardin, Nixon Administration; Earl Butz, Nixon and Ford Administrations; Bob Bergland, Carter Administration; John Block, Reagan Administration; Richard Lyng, Reagan Administration; Clayton Yeutter, Bush Administration; and Mike Espy, Clinton Administration.
"American agriculture competitively produces, handles, processes, services, trades and transports food and fiber that the world wants to buy. Agricultural trade has contributed significantly to U.S. farm income, created jobs and strengthened American and economic and political interests. For those reasons, agricultural trade has been a top priority for every administration in recent memory," they said.
Citing the benefits of trade liberalization made possible by previous fast-track authorities, the former agriculture secretaries noted that U.S. agricultural exports surged another $20 billion in 1996.
"Our food and agricultural system is now poised to make additional export gains from upcoming trade negotiations," they said.
With economic growth and rising food demand, people all over the world will need to rely more on world markets, but according to the secretaries, "There is no guarantee that agricultural products grown in the U.S. may reach them. To assure that, we need to make additional progress lowering trade barriers, eliminating unfair trading practices and constraining domestic subsidies that distort trade. Fast-track is the key to unlocking those opportunities."
Fast-track authorities should be used to level the playing field for U.S. farmers and processors, to help resolve outstanding trade disputes and strengthen the rules of international commerce, they added, urging that fast- track "be used as it was in the past -- to exercise U.S. leadership in trade."
American agriculture needs to be at the table for the 1999 agriculture talks in the World Trade Organization, to continue the progress made in the Uruguay Round, they said.
U.S. Agriculture Secretaries sent the following letter, dated November 3, to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman:
No matter one's political perspective, the U.S. food and agricultural system is one of the nation's greatest success stories. American agriculture competitively produces, handles, processes, services, trades and transports food and fiber that the world wants to buy. Agricultural trade has contributed significantly to U.S. farm income, created jobs and strengthened American economic and political interests. For those reasons, agricultural trade has been a top priority for every administration in recent memory.
Having served as the Secretaries of Agriculture to Presidents of both political parties, we have witnessed how U.S. agriculture has benefited from trade liberalization made possible by previous fast-track authorities. With the implementation of NAFTA and GATT, U.S. agricultural exports surged another $20 billion in value, hitting an all-time high of $60.3 billion in 1996. U.S. agriculture also has enjoyed a consistent trade surplus, which last year climbed to $27 billion.
Our food and agricultural system now is poised to make additional export gains from upcoming trade negotiations. Many developing countries are experiencing economic growth which means rising incomes for their citizens. Food demand is expanding as people upgrade their diets. These consumers will need to rely to a greater degree than ever on world markets, but there is no guarantee that agricultural products grown in the United States may reach them. To assure that, we need to make additional progress lowering trade barriers, eliminating unfair trading practices and constraining domestic subsidies that distort trade.
Fast-track is the key to unlocking those opportunities. It is the avenue for our negotiators to level the playing field for U.S. farmers and processors to compete. The authorities it conveys can and should be used to help resolve outstanding trade disputes and strengthen the rules of international commerce. Moreover, it should be used as it was in the past -- to exercise U.S. leadership in trade.
American agriculture needs to be at the table for the 1999 agriculture talks in the World Trade Organization to continue the progress made in the Uruguay Round. In addition, we need to be active in upcoming bilateral negotiations with countries like Chile and for the regional Free Trade Agreement of the Americas and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation talks.
Very simply, fast-track is critical to American agriculture being able to compete and prosper in the years ahead. That is why more than 60 agricultural organizations have committed themselves to work for fast-track, and why we as former Secretaries of Agriculture support them and you in this effort.
We are urging Congress to promptly pass this urgently needed legislation and the administration to work strenuously at the negotiating table for continued progress in trade.
U.S. Agriculture Secretaries sent the following letter, dated November 3, to Chairman Richard Lugar, Chairman Bob Smith, Ranking Member Tom Harkin, and Ranking Member Charles Stenholm:
The U.S. food and agricultural system is one of the nation's greatest success stories. American agriculture competitively produces, handles, processes, services, trades and transports food and fiber that the world wants to buy. Agricultural trade has contributed significantly to U.S. farm income, created jobs and strengthened American economic and political interests. For those reasons, agricultural trade has been a top priority for every administration in recent memory.
Having served as the Secretaries of Agriculture to Presidents of both political parties, we have witnessed how U.S. agriculture has benefited from trade liberalization made possible by previous fast-track authorities. With the implementation of NAFTA and GATT, U.S. agricultural exports surged another $20 billion in value, hitting an all-time high of $60.3 billion in 1996. U.S. agriculture also has enjoyed a consistent trade surplus, which last year climbed to $27 billion.
Our food and agricultural system now is poised to make additional export gains from upcoming trade negotiations. Many developing countries are experiencing economic growth which means rising incomes for their citizens. Food demand is expanding as people upgrade their diets. These consumers will need to rely to a greater degree than ever on world markets, but there is no guarantee that agricultural products grown in the United States may reach them. To assure that, we need to make additional progress lowering trade barriers, eliminating unfair trading practices and constraining domestic subsidies that distort trade.
Fast-track is the key to unlocking those opportunities. It is the avenue for our negotiators to level the playing field for U.S. farmers and processors to compete. The authorities it conveys can and should be used to help resolve outstanding trade disputes and strengthen the rules of international commerce. Moreover, it should be used as it was in the past -- to exercise U.S. leadership in trade.
American agriculture needs to be at the table for the 1999 agriculture talks in the World Trade Organization to continue the progress made in the Uruguay Round. In addition, we need to be active in upcoming bilateral negotiations with countries like Chile and for the regional Free Trade Agreement of the Americas and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation talks.
Very simply, fast-track is critical to American agriculture being able to compete and prosper in the years ahead. That is why more than 60 agricultural organizations have committed themselves to work for fast-track, and why we as former Secretaries of Agriculture support them in their effort.
We urge you to do what you can to assure prompt passage of this legislation.
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