IN SUPPORT OF THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

WHEREAS, President Obama announced in November 2009 the United States’ intention to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations to conclude an ambitious, next-generation, Asia-Pacific trade agreement that reflects U.S. priorities and values; and

WHEREAS, the nine countries – Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States – have now achieved the broad outlines of an agreement; and

WHEREAS, through this agreement, U.S. economic growth will increase and also support the creation and retention of high-quality jobs at home; and

WHEREAS, by increasing American exports to a region that represents more than 40 percent of global trade; and

WHEREAS, as a group, TPP countries are the fourth largest goods and services export market of the United States; and

WHEREAS, U.S. exports of agricultural products to the region totaled $83 billion in 2010 and accounted for 72 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the world; and

WHEREAS, U.S. private services exports totaled $177 billion in 2009, 37 percent of total U.S. private services exports to the world; and

WHEREAS, America’s small- and medium-sized enterprises alone exported $171 billion to the Asia-Pacific in 2009; and

WHEREAS, the Obama Administration has expressed its intention to explore in 2012 issues regarding additional trade promotion authority necessary to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership and future trade agreements,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors is committed to making exports and international trade a top economic development priority in their metropolitan areas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the speedy negotiation and passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, supports granting the USTR Trade Promotion Authority, and hereby affirms to all members of the United States Congress its strongest endorsement of such an agreement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be provided to the President of the United States, the Chairs and Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate Finance and the U.S. House Ways and Means Committees, the U.S. Trade Representative, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Projected Cost: Unknown