U.S. Chamber Urges Congress to Take the High Ground on Food and Medicine Export Sanctions

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Chamber of Commerce applauded Senate efforts to lift unilateral trade sanctions on food and medicine exports and urged the Congress to take the moral high ground.

"There is no moral or practical reason to keep food and medicine from those in greatest need: civilian women and children in countries that present no clear and present danger to U.S. national security interests," said Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill press conference on food and medicine sanctions relief, Donohue supported Senate efforts to end unilateral trade sanctions and said he expects legislation to be offered shortly. "U.S. policy on unilateral sanctions must be fixed, and fixed soon," said Donohue. "Unilateral sanctions don't work.

"This type of ineffective, brinkmanship diplomacy must end. It gives other nations a free ride at the expense of American businesses and farmers, and does little more than create martyrs of our targets," said Donohue.

The United States Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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