Froman talks Super Bowl and trade to NASDA
February 02, 2015 |06:59 PM
Trade Representative Michael Froman told the nation’s agriculture commissioners today that the Super Bowl and exports are good for America’s farmers and their states — and added that President Barack Obama needs their support to gain trade promotion authority in the fourth quarter of his presidency.
“Yesterday was quite a day for the Patriots — but we know who the real winners of Super Bowl Sunday were, and that’s America’s farmers,” Froman said in a speech to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
“Because I’m told that nearly 46 million pounds of potato chips were sold in the run-up to the game. And for those on the healthier side of things, sales of baby carrots were up 25 percent. Most impressive of all, Americans ate about 1.25 billion chicken wings. Laid end-to-end, that goes, well, a very long way."
Noting that he has seen the benefits of trade on his visits to farms in Iowa, Kentucky and other states, Froman pointed out the role of agricultural exports in the overall economy.
“In 2013, which is the most recent year we’ve got full-year data for, exports hit nearly $150 billion, the record high, and we’re still waiting on the data for 2014, but we expect that those numbers will be even higher,” he said. “And ag exports supported over a million jobs.”
But he noted the American farmers are facing many problems that the administration is trying to lessen through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and other neogtiations:
Meanwhile, he said, competitors like Australia, New Zealand, Chile and other countries are able to sell their own agricultural products in key markets without facing the same barriers.
Froman then urged the agriculture commissioners to help convince Congress to pass trade promotion authority.
“To borrow from football, TPA is a playbook for putting the national interest above narrow special interests,” Froman said.
“It’s how Congress helps define our negotiating objectives, how Congress determines how we work with them before and during the negotiations, and how Congress sets out the process by which it will approve or disapprove an agreement when it’s finally done and after it’s been broadly and publicly debated.”
Noting that the last part of the Super Bowl game had been exciting, Froman said, “As we know, the fourth quarter is when the crowd matters the most as well. It’s when players depend on the energy of the crowd, and the support of its fans.”
“To bring home the best deals possible, we need your help in rallying that support. NASDA, of course, has a federal policy focus, but you’re all plugged in at the grassroots and local organization level across the country, and you’re in a unique position to see the bigger picture and with boots on the ground to generate support.”
“As Vince Lombardi, the famous coach and namesake of the Super Bowl trophy, once said, ‘People who work together will win.’ As we head into this fourth quarter, that seems like advice worth taking.”
Asked by one of the commissioners how they could help, Froman said, “You have a sense of the importance of these issues. As issues come up it is important for members of Congress to understand why these issues are important to you at home — how your farmers are plugged into the global economy. Inform farmers and ranchers and help them amplify their voices.”
“Yesterday was quite a day for the Patriots — but we know who the real winners of Super Bowl Sunday were, and that’s America’s farmers,” Froman said in a speech to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
“Because I’m told that nearly 46 million pounds of potato chips were sold in the run-up to the game. And for those on the healthier side of things, sales of baby carrots were up 25 percent. Most impressive of all, Americans ate about 1.25 billion chicken wings. Laid end-to-end, that goes, well, a very long way."
Noting that he has seen the benefits of trade on his visits to farms in Iowa, Kentucky and other states, Froman pointed out the role of agricultural exports in the overall economy.
“In 2013, which is the most recent year we’ve got full-year data for, exports hit nearly $150 billion, the record high, and we’re still waiting on the data for 2014, but we expect that those numbers will be even higher,” he said. “And ag exports supported over a million jobs.”
But he noted the American farmers are facing many problems that the administration is trying to lessen through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and other neogtiations:
- Poultry — Import quotas in Canada, tariffs up to 12 percent in Japan and 40 percent in Vietnam
- Tree nuts — Tariffs of up to 10 percent in Japan, 20 percent in Malaysia, and 20 percent in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, he said, competitors like Australia, New Zealand, Chile and other countries are able to sell their own agricultural products in key markets without facing the same barriers.
Froman then urged the agriculture commissioners to help convince Congress to pass trade promotion authority.
“To borrow from football, TPA is a playbook for putting the national interest above narrow special interests,” Froman said.
“It’s how Congress helps define our negotiating objectives, how Congress determines how we work with them before and during the negotiations, and how Congress sets out the process by which it will approve or disapprove an agreement when it’s finally done and after it’s been broadly and publicly debated.”
Noting that the last part of the Super Bowl game had been exciting, Froman said, “As we know, the fourth quarter is when the crowd matters the most as well. It’s when players depend on the energy of the crowd, and the support of its fans.”
“To bring home the best deals possible, we need your help in rallying that support. NASDA, of course, has a federal policy focus, but you’re all plugged in at the grassroots and local organization level across the country, and you’re in a unique position to see the bigger picture and with boots on the ground to generate support.”
“As Vince Lombardi, the famous coach and namesake of the Super Bowl trophy, once said, ‘People who work together will win.’ As we head into this fourth quarter, that seems like advice worth taking.”
Asked by one of the commissioners how they could help, Froman said, “You have a sense of the importance of these issues. As issues come up it is important for members of Congress to understand why these issues are important to you at home — how your farmers are plugged into the global economy. Inform farmers and ranchers and help them amplify their voices.”
