ATA and AFTC Give Thumbs Up to CAFTA

The American Trucking Assns., Alexandria, Va., and ATA affiliate, the Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, announced support of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), citing its potential to increase economic opportunities for the U.S. and for ATA member motor carriers.

“Expanding international commerce is essential to the continued growth of the economy of the United States,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Otherwise, restrictive practices reduce the flow of goods and obstruct efficiencies in production, distribution and economic opportunities.”
ATA said CAFTA would level the playing field for U.S. workers, could boost U.S. agricultural exports by $1.5 billion annually and could provide 25,000 new U.S. jobs in its first year and up to 130,000 in a decade.
“Expanded exports and free trade are good business for commercial transporters of agricultural and food commodities because they increase U.S. agricultural exports and put U.S. agriculture on equal footing with its competitors,” AFTC Chairman Greg Owen said. “These comprehensive agreements will include all sectors of agriculture with no exceptions.”
Currently, Central America and the Dominican Republic enjoy nearly free access to our marketplace while U.S. access to theirs remains limited. Some 80% of Central American and Dominican products enter the U.S. market duty free, while U.S. exports to those six countries face stiff tariffs. CAFTA would fix this imbalance by immediately eliminating all tariffs on 80% of U.S. manufactured goods. The remainder would be phased out over a few years.
ATA said mutually beneficial trade under CAFTA would raise respective standards of living by providing people with more goods at less real cost, raising productivity and increasing economic efficiency through competition. It also would open new service markets, including for express shipments.