| February 12, 2007 | For Immediate Release |
Contact: Hannah Abney 703-600-2021 |
ARLINGTON, VA (February 12, 2007) - The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced today that it has joined the “Trade for America” coalition of retail, agriculture, high-technology, consumer, manufacturing, and service organizations dedicated to achieving renewal of presidential Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).
TPA authorizes the President to enter into trade agreements and provides Congressional guidance on negotiating objectives that should be met by those agreements; in return Congress can approve or reject those agreements, but it cannot amend them. TPA provides a practical and positive mechanism to facilitate trade, an area in which Congress and the President have shared responsibility.
In a statement, RILA President Sandy Kennedy said:
“Global integration is a reality, and the question for U.S. lawmakers is not whether to participate in the global economy, but how to create the best opportunities for U.S. businesses to compete and win. TPA provides the necessary tools to promote and shape trade policy in a way that can benefit all Americans.
“RILA and its members are champions for trade expansion and recognize that trade is essential to providing U.S. consumers with the quality and variety of products they expect at prices they can afford, and to creating opportunities for U.S. retailers to offer goods and services to customers around the world. New trade agreements simply will not be possible without TPA, and the United States cannot afford to let that happen."
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