Chairman Graves Statement on Senate Developments On Pending Trade Agreements

Statement

House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) today issued the following statement on the announcement that Senate leadership has agreed to a process forward on the pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea:

"The announcement that Senate leaders have agreed on a path forward on the pending trade agreements and Trade Adjustment Assistance is very good news for our economy, and more specifically, for the millions of small businesses that want to explore untapped exporting opportunities.

"After watching other nations agree on trade deals, we owe it to American small businesses to open new markets and lower trade barriers so they can compete with their foreign counterparts and increase their exports. With just one percent of the 28 million small businesses exporting, there is great untapped potential for economic growth and job creation.

"The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that passing the trade agreements will increase U.S. exports by $13 billion and create 75,000 jobs -- all without one dime of new government spending. Getting these trade deals approved should be at the top of our legislative agenda to help create more jobs and speed up our economic recovery."

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