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Doubling Exports in Five Years: How We Do
It
Fundamental Changes Are Necessary to Meet Goal of National Export
Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 26, 2010 – The
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the Coalition of Service
Industries (CSI) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) put
forth a comprehensive approach today to double U.S. exports in five
years – a key goal of President Obama’s. Under this approach, the three
organizations outline policy changes needed to improve market access and
level the playing field in a competitive global market. Doubling exports
in five years is an ambitious but achievable goal if major changes are
enacted.
The NAM, the CSI and the AFBF believe the
following recommendations are essential to achieving this goal:
·
Enact pending trade agreements
with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
·
Pursue new trade agreements.
·
Reduce non-tariff barriers.
·
Improve competitiveness with
investments in infrastructure and trade facilitation initiatives.
·
Pursue a Doha Round agreement that
expands world trade.
·
Improve export promotion efforts
and financing policies.
“Growth in U.S. agricultural exports will
be achieved with aggressive actions to expand market opportunities and
reduce trade barriers,” said AFBF Director of International Policy
Rosemarie Watkins. “These measures are critical for increasing U.S.
agricultural competitiveness around the world and meeting the growing
world demand for food with U.S. agricultural products.”
"While services account for 80 percent of
the U.S. economy, they account for only about 31percent of U.S. exports,
in part because of the prevalence of barriers to services trade around
the world,” said CSI President Bob Vastine. “If the President's goal of
doubling exports is to be realized, the U.S. government must create a
supportive trade policy environment that addresses discriminatory trade
barriers erected by many of our trading partners. CSI and its members
are ready to partner, and we welcome our government's leadership."
“If drastic changes are not made
to double exports, our nation’s manufactured goods exports will fall
nearly $300 billion short of the President’s goal in 2014,” said NAM
Vice President of International Economic Affairs Frank Vargo. “Our
partners and competitors are moving forward with negotiating new free
trade agreements and enacting other policies to boost exports, and the
U.S. is being left behind. America needs to enact policies to make it
easier for U.S. companies to reach new markets.”
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