U.S. Chamber Highlights Importance of Trade to Creating Jobs

Idaho Events with Senator Crapo & Congressman Minnick Call for Action on Doubling Exports

BOISE, ID—As part of a two-day tour through Idaho that will highlight the importance of exports in creating jobs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce TradeRoots program brought the state’s small and midsize businesses together with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Congressman Walt Minnick (D-ID) to call for Washington to act on President Obama’s plan to double exports over the next five years.

“There are economies that are rapidly growing around the world but Idaho’s businesses don’t have the best access to their markets because of Washington’s failure to act,” said Liz J. Reilly, director of the U.S. Chamber TradeRoots program, during today’s event in Boise with Senator Crapo. At the gathering, she called for action on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which has languished in Washington for more than three years. “Inaction on the U.S.-Korea trade agreement and others like it will leave Idaho companies at a competitive disadvantage and ship state’s jobs to China, Canada, and Europe.”

Idaho’s economic prosperity is growing increasingly reliant on the global economy and the growth of exports. In 2008, Idaho exported $5 billion in manufactured goods, which supported over 38,600 manufacturing jobs. Meanwhile, Idaho exported $1.7 billion in agricultural products, which supported over 19,600 agricultural jobs. Of the 1,162 Idaho companies that exported goods in 2007, 87% were small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 500 employees. Nationally, that percentage rises to 97%.

“Trade agreements will give Idaho’s businesses an advantage over global competitors and will put this state’s goods in markets across Asia, Central America, and South America,” said Reilly. “With a strong push from the president, Congress can act now to create jobs right here in Idaho and across the rest of America.”

Today’s meeting with the Senator will be followed by a similar gathering of the state’s small and midsize size business owners tomorrow in Coeur D’Alene with Congressman Minnick. The TradeRoots’ two-day tour in Idaho is part of the Chamber’s overall nationwide push to educate Americans about the economic benefits and job opportunities that would come from Congress acting on the pending trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. TradeRoots is the only sustained, national trade education program dedicated to raising grassroots support and public awareness about the importance of international trade to local communities.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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