LETTERS: FAST TRACK IMPORTANT TO AG EXPORTS

To the editor:

Despite an unfortunate turn of events that have caused falling farm prices and recent diminishing exports of U.S. products, American agriculture has flourished in recent years. In fact, last year the United States saw a record $27.4 billion in trade surplus, and in 1996 new highs were reached in fresh, frozen and chilled red-meat imports. It would be shameful to kill this momentum by not giving the president the necessary authority to conduct meaningful trade negotiations and work to remove barriers to trade around the globe.

Although every U.S. president since 1974 has had free-trade negotiation authority, such legislation was met with opposition when introduced in Congress late last year. U.S. agriculture and industry delight in the current revival of the legislation, which will be voted on by the House of Representatives in September. Simply put, granting the president the authority to negotiate free-trade agreements would mean more U.S. jobs, more competitive U.S. products in foreign markets and strengthening of relationships with our trading partners. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

The benefits of an open trade market are tremendous. For example, the much-debated North American Free Trade Agreement is expected to increase agricultural exports by almost $3 billion by 2008, supporting more than 50,000 jobs, $5.3 billion in overall economic activity and $1 billion in farm income. And the Uruguay Round is projected to send U.S. agricultural exports soaring to more than $5 billion a year by 2005. It's hard to argue with these facts.

Furthermore, the United States has a strong track record in opening international markets, and trade is one area in which we can work on a bipartisan basis to improve our ability for future competition in them. Providing the president with fast-track authority, something he hasn't had since 1994, would allow the United States to negotiate more credibly with trading partners.

Nearly 96 percent of the world's consumers live outside U.S. borders. We must be able to meet the needs of their consumers to continue to grow our economy.

The bottom line is exports are playing an increasingly larger role in the U.S. economy. Consider that one in three farm acres in America is dedicated to exports and that U.S. agriculture has become the single largest net exporter of goods. The overall statistics are positive. The results are encouraging. And keeping up the momentum is absolutely imperative. The ideal scenario is a fast-track bill that is extraneous of unrelated, politically motivated issues. Food safety, environmental and labor issues, for example, should not be part of any fast-track legislation.

Let's hope the U.S. government's commitment to building a free-trade environment that benefits this country and the entire globe prevails on Sept. 21. It would be a shame to slam the door on a world of opportunity.

JOHN R. BLOCK, President

Food Distributors International

Falls Church, Va.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Block also is a former U.S. secretary of agriculture.