U.S. Senate Candidate Eldridge Announces Opposition To Trans Pacific Partnership
FORT SMITH – Former prosecutor and U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge, who is running for the U.S. Senate, today stated his opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership – a trade agreement between the United States and eleven other Pacific Rim countries. Eldridge said he is concerned about the trade deal’s impact on working people in Arkansas, farmers and the state's economy. Eldridge made the announcement from Fort Smith, a community that has been hit hard because of jobs being shipped to other countries, particularly manufacturing jobs.
Statement from Conner Eldridge, candidate for U.S. Senate:
“I support trade that is fair to all Arkansans, which is why I oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership in its current form. The Trans Pacific Partnership fails to address currency manipulation by other countries, it stands to raise the price of prescription drugs on our seniors, and I have serious concerns about its impact on working families and Arkansas farmers, particularly our state’s rice farmers.
"Communities like Fort Smith have been hit particularly hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs. We must insist that any trade deal will increase jobs and boost wages, not amount to an empty promise that costs jobs, hurting businesses and working families in Arkansas. As our next senator, I'll fight for fairer trade to actually create or bring good-paying jobs to Arkansas - not trade deals the send them to other countries or punish our state's hardworking farmers. This is why Arkansas needs a senator who will listen to all Arkansans and then go to work every day to fight for them."
BACKGROUND:
USA Rice has "great concern" about impact of TPP on Arkansas rice.
"Mexico agreed to eliminate all duties on rice imported from Vietnam within ten years after the agreement goes into effect. "This is of great concern because Mexico is our number one export market," Dow Brantley, an Arkansas producer and chairman of USA Rice, said. "As Mexico increases imports of milled rice, Vietnam is our number one competitive threat. We believe that Vietnam is providing subsidies to its producers in excess of levels allowed by the World Trade Organization, so we face the prospect of unfair competition in a key market. The subsidy problem isn't confined to Vietnam, and it's time for the U.S. government to challenge unfair subsidies in many key agricultural exporters." Under the North America Free Trade Agreement, all U.S. rice enters Mexico duty free while rice from Vietnam currently faces a 20 percent duty." [Stuttgart Daily Leader, 02/05/2016]
AARP has "serious concerns" about impact of TPP on prescription drug prices.
"AARP continues to voice its serious concerns about the current draft of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive trade agreement that will affect millions of people here in the U.S. and abroad and could set an unfortunate precedent for future trade agreements. The draft agreement contains provisions that add to the profits of the brand-name pharmaceutical industry at the expense of patients and older Americans. In fact, some of the TPP provisions run counter to current U.S. laws that are in place to protect consumers’ access to affordable medicines." [AARP, 07/27/2015]
American Automotive Policy Council says TPP doesn't address currency manipulation and could drive up the cost of cars.
"Still, all three car companies cited by the President -- GM, Ford, and Chrysler -- have deep misgivings about the trade deal. The trade group representing the big three U.S. automakers argues the TPP fails to address Japan's potential to use currency manipulation to drive up the costs of American cars. "Several countries in the TPP negotiations have a history of using currency manipulation to gain an unfair trade advantage over their trade partners, which would undermine the expected benefits of a TPP agreement to the United States," the American Automotive Policy Council says on its website." [CNN, 05/05/2015]
IN THE NEWS:
Times Record: U.S. Senate Candidate Conner Eldridge Opposes President’s Trade Agreement
http://swtimes.com/news/us-senate-candidate-conner-eldridge-opposes-president-s-trade-agreement
Talk Business & Politics: Eldridge opposes Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, Sen. Boozman undecided
https://talkbusiness.net/2016/03/eldridge-opposes-trans-pacific-partnership-deal-sen-boozman-undecided/
Arkansas Business: Democratic Senate Hopeful Eldridge Opposes Trade Deal
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/110245/democratic-senate-hopeful-eldridge-opposes-trade-deal