The Salt Lake Chamber issued the following statement after congress authorized Trade Promotion Authority.
“The passage of TPA will be critical for Utah’s economy, promoting exports, spurring economic growth, and creating jobs,” said Lane Beattie, President and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber Utah. “Utah is a trade state, with trade accounting for one in five Utah jobs. On behalf of Utah’s business leader, we want to thank the members of our federal delegation who supported Utah jobs and voted to advance a robust international trade agenda.”
“We also want to specifically acknowledge and thank Senator Hatch for his statesmanship and leadership on this critical issue. As a longtime advocate of breaking down trade barriers, Senator Hatch has championed efforts to enhance Utah’s global competitiveness and increase access for Utah workers and job-creators into international markets.”
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.
Trade Promotion Authority is legislation that establishes concrete rules for international trade negotiations to help the United States deliver strong, high-standard agreements that will boost American exports and create new economic opportunities and better jobs for Americans who engage in international trade.
