As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to act on authorizing Trade Promotion Authority, leading organizations from Utah’s business community urge Utah’s House delegation to support this important legislation.
“The logic of trade is simple and we appreciate the leadership of Senator Orrin Hatch on this issue. Without TPA, the U.S. cannot negotiate new trade agreements to open foreign markets, spur economic growth, and create American jobs,” said Lane Beattie, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. The Salt Lake Chamber coordinated the attached letter of businesses and organizations supporting the bill. “For the sake of growth and jobs, we’re urging the Utah delegation members to support this important legislation and renew TPA. Doing so will seize the benefits of a robust international trade agenda and keep Utah’s economy moving.”
As a relatively small state in the Intermountain West, Utah is a trade state, accounting for one in five Utah jobs — 374,963 total — according to the Business Roundtable. And trade-related jobs are growing twice as fast as total employment.
Utah exported $16 billion in goods and $6.1 billion in services in 2013, including nonferrous metals, semiconductors and components, navigational and measuring instruments, medical devices, farm goods, travel services and many other products and services. Utah has 3,475 exporters and 86 percent are small to medium-sized businesses.
