Jon Kyl: “I have never opposed a free trade agreement, FTA, although I have sometimes had reservations or concerns about different…”

“I have never opposed a free trade agreement, FTA, although I have sometimes had reservations or concerns about different elements of the agreements. I believe free trade encourages economic growth, improves living standards by making a wider variety of goods and services available at more affordable prices, and creates good-paying jobs. In fact, exports from the U.S. account for more than 10 percent of our annual gross domestic product and one in six manufacturing jobs are related to exported products. I also understand that the benefits of trade accrue not only to Americans, but also to workers in other countries; but this is also to our benefit. The more free trade encourages economic growth and job creation around the world, the more demand there will be for high-value American products and services. Trade fosters closer economic relations with other countries and those economic ties generally lead to improved political relations, which benefits our national security. For these reasons, I have been a strong, consistent, and vocal supporter of free trade. And for these reasons, I take my vote against the Peru FTA today extremely seriously.”