Kevin Roberts: “I thank my colleague and dear friend from Nebraska for the question. In the end, the biggest consequence for inaction…”

“I thank my colleague and dear friend from Nebraska for the question. In the end, the biggest consequence for inaction that is now facing our Nation, our biggest challenge, is jobs. In regards to his question, the three pending trade agreements add up to $13 billion in additional exports and an estimated 250,000 jobs. From the agricultural perspective, the three pending trade agreements represent $2.5 billion, if they are ever implemented. The estimates are that the three agreements in total are expected to increase direct exports by $129.5 million just for Kansas farmers and ranchers and an additional 1,150 jobs for our State. For folks on the farm, these export markets are absolutely critical. Approximately one- third of our crop production is exported. For wheat, that number jumps to one-half. The administration's prolonged delay is causing U.S. businesses and producers to simply lose market share. We are losing out. Other countries are not waiting. They are enacting trade agreements without the United States. Let me give a very good example. The Colombia-Canada trade agreement went into force on August 15 of this year. Already, Nutresa, the largest food processor in Colombia, has announced it will source all of its wheat from Canada to take advantage of the lower duties the Canadian wheat will receive from the trade agreement. Nutresa's wheat demand alone represents 50 percent of all wheat imports to that country.…”