Emmer's support boosted trade pact that helps Minnesota

Minnesotans should thank 6th District Rep. Tom Emmer for his support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiation among 12 Pacific Rim countries that will lead to a free-trade agreement that significantly boosts the U.S. economy.

Contrary to its critics, the talks are backed by the overwhelming majority of the U.S. business and agricultural communities. Most Americans support the TPP because they recognize that more than 95 percent of the world's population lives outside the United States and that, therefore, trade is vital to sustaining and growing our economy. An April 2014 Pew Research Center survey found that 55 percent of Americans think the TPP will be a good thing, while just 25 percent said it won't.

Trade is enhanced through free-trade agreements. The U.S. pork industry, for example, which is the top global pork exporter and huge in Minnesota, exports more pork to the 18 nations with which we have free-trade agreements than to all the other countries combined.

And those exports support jobs — nearly 4,500 of them in the Minnesota pork industry alone. For all businesses in the state, 150,000 jobs rely on exports. That number would grow meaningfully under the TPP, which would eliminate barriers on our exports to those countries.

There are other important reasons to support the TPP such as improving ties to crucial allies and setting standards for future trade agreements, but the bottom line is that the TPP, whose countries combined account for almost 40 percent of global gross domestic product, will spur U.S. economic growth and jobs.

To conclude a strong TPP agreement, Congress must approve Trade Promotion Authority legislation, which, contrary to its critics, allows lawmakers to set the goals for free-trade agreements, to review the details of such agreements and to vote to approve or disapprove them.