2016-4-12: 200 farm groups and food companies deliver letter to congressional leaders urging approval of TPP

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200 farm groups and food companies deliver  letter to congressional leaders urging approval of TPP

[/title][fusion_text]Tuesday, April 12th 2016

More than 200 farm groups and food companies came together Monday to deliver a letter to congressional leaders, urging approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Lawmakers are increasingly torn over supporting the TPP, especially as anti-trade-deal rhetoric grows on the campaign trail from both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. But the potential gains from TPP – and the potential losses from even delaying ratification – are too great not to approve it, the agricultural groups and companies wrote. The letter was addressed to House Speaker Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Democratic counterpart Harry Reid. The signers of the letter quoted a prediction from the Peterson Institute for International Economics that says delaying TPP for a year could cost U.S. producers $94 billion. The National Pork Producers Council said Monday it believes the 12-country TPP deal could be the “biggest commercial opportunity ever for U.S. pork producers.” The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is equally as committed to getting Congress to approve the TPP. Japan, a TPP member and the largest market for U.S. beef, has the potential to become even larger once the trade deal is ratified, according to NCBA. But right now U.S. beef is losing that growth opportunity to Australia, which already has a bilateral deal with Japan.

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