Press Release | Ron & Rep. Blumenauer's Op-Ed in The Oregonian | Bill Text | What Oregon Businesses are Saying

Whether it’s blueberries or bicycles, when Oregonians make things, add value to products, and ship them around the world, Oregon’s economy and our families win.

1 in 5 Oregon jobs depends on international trade. Expanding Oregon’s exports can unlock new opportunities for middle-class Oregonians. More than 6,000 Oregon businesses export goods or services, supporting tens of thousands of working families in our state.

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) sets the “rules of the road” for trade agreements. And the TPA introduced in 2015 represents historic advances in progressive policies worldwide.

Ron fought for - and won - historic advances in TPA, including:

Unprecedented new requirements to increase trade transparency          

• Future trade deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, must be public for 60 days before the president signs them, and send them to Congress.
• Every member of Congress is required by law to have access to trade negotiations.
• The administration must publish regular summaries of its proposals in trade negotiations.
• A new process to put the brakes on bad trade deals that do not meet the conditions of TPA.
• Creates a transparency officer at USTR to ensure accountability

Raises the bar for democratic values with strengthened negotiating objectives on labor, the environment, and affordable medicines

• Trading partners must adopt and maintain core international labor standards, with trade sanctions if they do not comply
• Trading partners must adopt and maintain common multilateral environmental agreements, with trade sanctions if they do not comply
• Establishes directives for trade agreements to foster innovation and promote access to medicines

First-ever negotiating objective on human rights with strengthened directives to stop corruption and promote rule of law

• First-ever negotiating objective recognizing the importance of trade agreements in advancing human rights and implementation of trade agreement commitments that promote respect for human rights and create more open democratic societies
• Directs trading partners to cooperate to fight bribery and corruption in international trade
• Strong directive to strengthen trading partners’ capacity to comply with trade agreements

Increases oversight for Congress

• USTR required to provide all Members access to negotiating text of trade deals, including classified information
• USTR required to consult with all Members of Congress
• All Members can attend trade negotiations
• Text of U.S. negotiating proposals made accessible to cleared staff of all Members
• New obligations for USTR to provide notice and consult with Congress before agreement enters into force

Creates new tools to put the brakes on trade deals that do not meet TPA

• House or Senate can change its rules to disqualify an agreement from getting expedited, OR House and Senate act jointly to disapprove agreement
• Creates a new third process to allow either chamber of Congress to turn off the streamlined voting procedures in that chamber and stop bad trade deals

Creates new protections for American sovereignty

• Affirms that trade agreements cannot change U.S. law without Congressional action
• Requires the President to put U.S. domestic policy first, so that trade agreements do not encroach on American domestic regulatory objectives
• Requires the World Trade Organization to follow its mandate for enforcement of trade remedies, without infringing on U.S. rights and obligations

New tools to enforce trade deals and hold trading partners accountable for living up to agreements:

• Includes Sen. Wyden’s ENFORCE Act, enabling swift action to ensure foreign trade cheats are stopped before U.S. jobs are lost.
• Establishes new directives to require the Administration to focus on fighting foreign trade barriers that have the most impact on U.S. jobs and growth, with specific timetables and Congressional consultations to ensure that it follows through on enforcement priorities. 

Done right, trade creates new opportunities for middle class jobs and bigger paychecks for American families. That’s what Ron went to the mat for in TPA and will continue to fight for every day in Washington, D.C.

What Oregon businesses are saying:

Robin Ford, Vice President at Global Cache in Jacksonville, Oregon

Knocking down barriers to trade in other countries would open significant opportunities for Global Cache, a Jacksonville, Ore., employer that manufacturers components to connect electronics to the Internet, said Vice President Robin Ford.

“Anything that can be done to pass TPA would be very helpful because we need to make it easier to import or export into other countries, which have some of the craziest duties and tariffs and barriers to entry,” Ford said. “Anything that Congress can do to lower those barriers to entry would be incredibly helpful.”

Chris King, Founder of Chris King Precision Components in Portland, Oregon

The founder of Chris King Precision Components welcomed the news of an agreement that will allow Congress to consider a Trans Pacific Partnership with the United States’ trade partners in the Pacific Rim.

“Eliminating trade barriers would be a huge boost for our export business, which makes up 40 to 45 percent of our revenues,’’ said Chris King, whose 140-employee Portland company turns aluminum, steel and titanium into bike parts. “We have no doubt that leveling the playing field in international trade would benefit our company because our high-quality bike parts are in such great demand globally.”

Mike Budd, Director of International Sales at Triad Speakers in Portland, Oregon

Mike Budd, Director of International Sales of Portland-based Triad Speakers said progress toward lowering trade obstacles in the Pacific Rim would carry significant benefits for the company and its 47 employees.

“Our employees in Oregon design and manufacture high-quality, build-to-order loudspeakers that we know the rest of the world wants to buy,” said Budd. “We look forward to growing our export business even more in the Pacific Rim countries once there are agreements in place that allow fair competition in that large and growing market.”

Doug Krahmer, Blueberry Grower in St. Paul, Oregon

"We are blessed in Oregon to grow more blueberries than we can possibly eat, and their incredible flavor, consistent quality and high nutritional value make them hot commodities around the world," said Doug Krahmer, a St. Paul, Oregon blueberry grower with 500 acres.  "Reducing trade barriers in Pacific Rim markets is good for local jobs and is a fantastic opportunity to share the bounty of such a coveted Oregon crop like blueberries."