U.S. Chamber's Small Business Owners Urge TPA Action

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce welcomed small business executives to a briefing on Trade Promotion Authority, while anti-trade demonstrators protested outside the Chamber's Washington headquarters.

"Protestors in Seattle and now D.C. are using noise and commotion to disrupt legitimate debate about how to move this country's national interests forward," said Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice president. "It's ironic that mobs are using violence and demonstrations to stop the U.S. from advancing international agreements that promote our economy, increase our business strength and provide jobs for Americans."

Nearly 40 small business members of the Chamber are in Washington to meet with White House and congressional leaders to urge swift passage of Trade Promotion Authority for President Bush. Exports support 12 million U.S. jobs - one-in-five manufacturing jobs - and account for almost one-third of real U.S. economic growth over the past decade. One-in-three acres of U.S. farmland are planted with crops for export.

"A vote against TPA is a vote against American small businesses and their workers and a vote to export American jobs," said Josten. "Voting against TPA means small businesses will finish last in the race for foreign markets."

Without TPA, American companies must source their products from within the targeted foreign markets or other countries that have trade agreements with those markets. Large firms can do this, but small companies are invested in the U.S. market and can't afford to set up subsidiaries in every foreign market they want to access.

"Noisy demonstrators cannot drown out the truth - wider trade opportunities for America's small businesses are critical to our continued economic growth," said Josten. "The Chamber will continue to mobilize its vast federation network to educate lawmakers, challenge the nay-sayers and tell the good story about trade."

The U.S. 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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