Kendrick Meek: “Trade is a crucially important issue in Florida. With our great seaports and airports and our global position as the…”

“Trade is a crucially important issue in Florida. With our great seaports and airports and our global position as the crossroads between North America and Central and South America and the Caribbean, Florida is well positioned to benefit from trade with our neighbors. However, in order for that trade to benefit Floridians, to create new jobs and new businesses and to promote the growth of existing enterprises, it must be conducted fairly. One of Florida's signature industries is citrus. Citrus is Florida's second largest industry, responsible for generating over $9 billion for the economy and providing nearly 90,000 people with jobs. The industry also accounts for roughly $1 billion in revenue for the State and local governments. Not only is this industry responsible for giving jobs to tens of thousands of Floridians, it also helps to fund our public hospitals and schools, and our fire and police services. But all is not well with Florida's citrus industry--primarily because of the impact of imports--and I urge the Bush administration to remember this fact when it considers requests to reduce or eliminate the current tariff on imported citrus juices during the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations this weekend or any other negotiations.”