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NCAg Warning: Abandoning tobacco growers in TPP negotiations would devastate NC economy
Story Date: 10/14/2014
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Source: NC AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL, 10/13/14
The North Carolina Agribusiness Council called on the Office of the United States Trade Representative to defend the economic interests of North Carolina by ceasing its unilateral efforts to carve out tobacco products from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a comprehensive regional trade agreement currently being negotiated among the United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
“In recent years, tobacco growers in North Carolina have become increasingly dependent on exports. Like all other agriculture products, tobacco growers need fair access to foreign markets to be competitive in today’s economy,” said Erica Peterson, executive vice president of the North Carolina Agribusiness Council. “President Obama must not allow the United States Trade Representative to continue to unilaterally advocate for tobacco leaf and tobacco products to be arbitrarily carved out from the TPP, this is essential to preserving farm families and jobs in North Carolina. Excluding tobacco from any chapter of our trade agreements would strike another serious blow to our state’s economy and not do anything to advance public health. It would merely allow other countries to pass protectionism policies that benefit tobacco growers in their countries and disadvantage our NC growers.”
The North Carolina Agribusiness Council’s warning comes at a time when the US Trade Representative tries to wrap up negotiations on the agreement.
Peterson noted that the North Carolina Congressional Delegation have sent letters to both President Obama and the United States Trade Representative expressing its strong opposition to allowing tobacco products to be excluded from the TPP’s provisions to eliminate import duties and to protect intellectual property and investments. Copies of the bipartisan delegation letters are attached to this press release.
“Our elected officials in Washington and in the state have expressed their strong opposition to excluding tobacco from any portions of the TPP because of the serious negative impact it would have on jobs and farm families in our state with zero public health benefit,” Peterson continued.
“It is frustrating that trade agreements are supposed to support jobs, investments and exports, but yet our own US representative at international negotiations is unilaterally lobbying for measures that would undermine our state’s economy, against the advice of stakeholders. Make no mistake, this trade agreement is a major economic issue for North Carolina’s agribusiness community, an industry which represents nearly 20% of our economy. As the TPP negotiations continue, we will be watching the actions of the Office of the United States Trade Representative very closely and will continue to call upon our elected officials to oppose such action at the highest levels of the federal government.”
The North Carolina Agribusiness Council is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to promoting the interests of North Carolina’s $78 billion agribusiness industry – the state’s largest employer and the economic engine for North Carolina’s economy.
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