We need to break down trade barriers
As a farmer in Kane County, I know just how important it is to find new markets for the corn and livestock farmers grow in this area. That's why we need our leaders in Washington to support trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
TPP is a trade agreement between the United States and 11 countries along the Pacific Rim, representing 40 percent of the world's economy. It will break down trade barriers and allow farmers in Illinois to compete on a level playing field in one of the world's fastest-growing regions.
America's farmers and ranchers produce the best beef, pork, dairy and corn in the world. Yet we are losing market share to competitors in the Asia-Pacific region, because we don't compete on a level playing field. Other countries, like China, are negotiating trade agreements without us. Without TPP, trade conditions will only get worse.
Illinois agriculture is already a success story, bringing millions in economic activity and supporting thousands of jobs. Let's keep growing together by removing trade barriers and expanding our access to foreign markets. Please join me in telling Senator Mark Kirk, Senator Dick Durbin, and Representative Peter Roskam to pass TPP in 2016.
Mike Kenyon
South Elgin