George W. Bush

“ Across America, our exports support 12 million jobs that pay wages higher than the national average, and high-tech jobs supported by exports pay even more. It is no coincidence that the longest period of sustained economic growth in U.S. history has followed efforts to liberalize trade, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Uruguay Round Agreement that established the World Trade Organization. Trade also leads to more competitive businesses, more choices of goods for consumers, and lower prices. ”

“ From life-saving medical devices to information technology that allows people to be more productive, American ingenuity is bringing some of the best and most competitive and innovative products to the world marketplace. ”

“ In addition to the significance of exporting services, export of goods continues to be vitally important to our economic performance. More than 20 percent of our domestic goods are exported, and for durable goods the figure jumps to 36 percent. These exports support millions of high-quality U.S. jobs and play a key role in U.S. economic growth. ”

“ The United States will work for open trade at every opportunity. The executive and legislative branches need to work together to provide the means to cooperate on trade objectives. The renewal of U.S. trade promotion authority will bolster a partnership between the executive and legislative branches and will enhance the ability of the United States to negotiate new trade agreements. We will work for more open trade globally through talks in the WTO. We will work to create a free trade zone in the Western Hemisphere by 2005. ”

“ However, our ability to sustain or expand this growth will require tapping the trade potential of the emerging economies in Asia and Latin America, as well as bolstering our trade agreements with developed economies such as Japan and the European Union. Strengthening our trade agreements with these countries, not only opens their economies to U.S. goods and services, but also leads to higher rates of foreign investment. This investment creates growth, jobs, and the means to buy the products we export from the United States. ”