U.S. Chamber Begins Final Push for Trade Deal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce reiterated its call for lawmakers to use the time between the July 4 recess and the August recess to pass the trade deal with Central America and the Dominican Republic known as DR-CAFTA and pointed out the deal is critical to our broader international agenda.

"This agreement will bolster struggling young democracies in our hemisphere by increasing economic growth and raising living standards," said Bruce Josten, Chamber executive vice president. "This is not just a vote for free trade and open markets, but a more stable, prosperous and democratic hemisphere."

Central America and the Dominican Republic represent the tenth largest market in the world for

U.S. goods and services; tens of thousands of American jobs are tied to trade with the region. Most tariffs on U.S. exports to the region — currently averaging 7–11 percent — would be eliminated immediately, with the rest phased out over the next decade.

Over the congressional recess, the Chamber's 10 field representatives and 15 full-time lobbyists – along with its coalition partners – organized dozens of meetings in members' districts, arranged 8 regional conference calls with hundreds of grassroots DR-CAFTA supporters and thousands of e-mails urging followers to weigh in on the importance of the trade agreement.

"We will continue to mobilize our federation network to educate lawmakers and tell the good story about trade," said Josten. "We will send a message to Congress, the public, and our competitors – a vote against this agreement is a vote against new jobs for Americans, against our own economic welfare, and against the national interest."

The Chamber has spearheaded efforts on DR-CAFTA for the past year, arranging visits to dozens of U.S. cities with Central American and Dominican leaders and organizing fly-ins and meetings in Washington with policy leaders. The Chamber has built support for DR-CAFTA through a variety of efforts, including grassroots and grasstops lobbying efforts. The

Chamber's nationwide grassroots initiative, TradeRoots, has been working to educate local leaders and the public about the trade deal's importance to local communities.

The U.S. Chamber 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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