AFBF Votes to Support Peru FTA

For Immediate Release

 WASHINGTON, March 8, 2006 – The American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors voted today to support the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.  According to AFBF, the agreement would benefit all U.S. agriculture sectors and allow the United States to become a competitive supplier of agricultural products to Peru.

 AFBF economic analysis shows that the total increase in U.S. farm exports associated with the PTPA could exceed $705 million per year after full implementation in 2025.

 “The agreement will expand exports of a wide-range of farm products,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “It also levels the playing field by providing U.S. products exported to Peru with the same duty-free access already enjoyed by Peruvian products exported to the United States.”

 The duty-free access will allow the United States to compete with Peru’s other Latin American trading partners that are currently supplying a large portion of the Peruvian food and fiber market.

 “Farm Bureau is very pleased with the agreement,” continued Stallman. “We believe the United States Trade Representative negotiated a comprehensive, balanced agreement for the whole of American agriculture.”

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Contact:            Tracy Taylor Grondine                          Mace Thornton

                        (202) 406-3642                                       (202) 406-3641

                        tracyg@fb.org                                        macet@fb.org