USTR Chief Pushes Trade Pacts Before House
The newly inducted United State Trade Representative (USTR) head Michael Froman testified before the House Ways and Means Committee July 18, facing questions across the broad spectrum of U.S. trade involvement. Led by Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., the lawmakers placed particular emphasis on the need to conclude negotiations this year on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
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“I have serious concerns about Japanese non-tariff barriers in the auto, insurance, and agriculture sectors,” said Chairman Camp in his opening remarks. “In the EU, we face regulatory barriers to U.S. exports that must be resolved, particularly in agriculture.”
The two pending deals represent the largest prospective trade pacts on the globe. Considering the complexity of both pacts, some lawmakers and administration officials have advocated for Congressional passage of fast-track authority, also known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The authority would enable votes to be held on trade pacts without standard amendment submissions, a process that often stalls or kills legislation. In the July 18 hearing, committee members and Froman both stressed the significance of TPA. “We think TPA is a critical tool and stand ready to work with the committee as they develop a bill,” said Froman in response to a question from Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas.
USTR chief Froman also discussed Chinese currency manipulation, trade expansion with sub-Saharan Africa, threats posed to USTR by sequestration and footwear inclusion under duty-free programs.