Trade Creates Jobs

 

Joseph Gentry, U.S. Chamber member, says that there is at least one thing Congress can do to help his Houston-based energy and technology company remain competitive with its European counterparts--pass a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea. So he came to Washington, D.C., during World Trade Week in May to show his support for trade.

 

"Trade is the only sensible way to maintain intercountry relationships in the global economy," Gentry, technology director for GTC Technology Inc., wrote in his blog. "Anyone who has traveled abroad or has done business internationally will easily understand that trade barriers only hurt us and do not solve any problems."

 

Gentry joined more than 300 Chamber members and other concerned business leaders from across the nation to lobby their members of Congress and to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

 

President Bush capped off World Trade Week with a rally on the south lawn of the White House, using exports from Chamber members as a backdrop for a speech in which he called on Congress to act on pending FTAs with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama.

 

The Chamber estimates that American businesses and workers have paid more than $1 billion in unnecessary tariffs since the Colombia FTA was negotiated. According to Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue, "Our members are frustrated by Congress' inaction on these agreements. They recognize that trade creates quality jobs in America, and it is unacceptable for Congress to continue down this path toward isolationism."