WASHINGTON, D.C., (Jan. 10, 2014) T he National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) welcomed the introduction of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation in Congress.

"Trade Promotion Authority is an important step for opening up markets for U.S. agricultural products," said NGFA Director of Legislative Affairs Jared Hill.

"We appreciate the commitment Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., Ranking Member Orin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp, R-Mich. have shown by introducing the legislation.

"Our main goal is that the TPA legislation sets out clear negotiating principles for adequately dealing with the trade barriers facing the grain, feed and grain processing industry when our members ship products to other regions of the world."

Baucus, Hatch and Camp introduced the legislation on Jan. 9.

"In addition to providing increased market access, NGFA is hopeful that this next generation of trade agreements will strengthen current protocols on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, including inclusion of a rapid-response mechanism for challenging and quickly resolving non-science-based SPS barriers to trade," Hill said.

TPA legislation gives the president authority to negotiate trade deals, which Congress can pass or reject but cannot amend. Without it, other countries are reluctant to finalize negotiations with the United States for fearing an agreement could be undone through amendments in Congress.

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