WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today called on President Obama to send to the Senate languishing trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea where they could be approved to create jobs and significantly improve the economy.

The Senator made the remarks at a press conference with Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and others.

Click here to view his remarks at the press conference or press play below:

The following is text of the Senator’s prepared remarks:

“These trade agreements have been MIA since 2007. I call on President Obama to put action behind his words and send up the pending trade agreements immediately.

“You can’t vote on something that’s not here. Until President Obama officially sends them up to Congress, the limbo continues.

“Collectively, the pending trade agreements add up to $13 billion in additional exports and an estimated 250,000 jobs.

“From the Ag perspective, the three pending trade agreements represent $2.5 billion upon full implementation.

“These trade agreements are the ultimate ‘Buy America’ initiative.  The Administration’s use of these economic opportunities as leverage for more federal spending does not create jobs. It merely delays economic growth and is counterproductive to recovery efforts.  

“Until we act on these job creating deals, U.S. producers and exporters will continue to lose market share to our competitors.

“For example, over the past two years, U.S. wheat producers have already lost market share to Argentina – which receives preferential treatment based on a regional trade agreement. Just a couple of years ago, the U.S. share of the Colombian wheat market fell from 73 percent (2008) to 43 percent (2010) - a 30 percent loss in two years. Including corn and soybeans, the loss increases to 44 percent.

“In July, the Korea – EU trade agreement went into effect. Within the first 29 days of July, according to Korean Customs, EU exports are up 34 percent.  Notably, aerospace equipment increased a whopping 1693 percent. Kansas is a major player in the aviation sector, exporting $2.7 billion in transportation equipment in 2010.

“Increasing our ability to compete in foreign markets is an obvious and long overdue part of the solution to weathering these difficult economic times.

“Holding these agreements hostage by insisting on the passage of TAA is pure political gamesmanship, plain and simple. I will work with my colleagues to encourage the president to send up clean trade agreements without delay.”

Senator Roberts is the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is a member of the Senate Committee on Finance which has jurisdiction on trade matters.

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