Political Quotes

“I want to plainly state for the Record that I do support U.S. efforts to counter drug interdiction and production in trade among the Andean countries. I also want to note that I am a free trader but only ask that trade be fair. That is all we are asking for. For the information of my colleagues, the U.S. tuna industry has already provided under the current provisions of the Andean trade agreement explosive growth in opportunity for our Andean country neighbors. Under the present ATPA rules, tuna loins are already exempt from any of the meaningful duties. As a result, the number of tuna loin factories in Andean countries have increased by 229 percent since the enactment of ATPA in 1991. Production capacity has increased by 400 percent. Exports to the United States have increased by 56 percent. Sales of tuna from the Andean countries now total almost $100 million a year. Thanks to the present ATPA tuna rules, Andean countries are now the largest exporters of tuna to our country. In return for U.S. efforts, Ecuador currently imposes a 20 percent duty on canned tuna from the United States. Other Andean countries impose duties of 10 percent and 15 percent.”