AFIA Applauds Vilsack Enthusiasm for TPA

The American Feed Industry Association is thanking Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack for asking Congress to renew Trade Promotion Authority legislation. AFIA’s President and CEO Constance Cullman said the animal feed and pet food industries are encouraged by Secretary Vilsack’s recognition of the importance of renewing TPA and is hopeful that the Biden administration intends to take an active and supportive position in renewing it.

“As trade in the animal food sector continues to grow, we applaud Secretary Vilsack for standing behind U.S. agriculture and being the first within the administration to express both the need and support for TPA renewal,” she noted.

The Trade Promotion Authority allows the U.S. trade representative to enter trade discussions with negotiating positions and priorities already agreed upon by Congress, which provides potential trading partners with the confidence that Congress will likely ratify any final agreement. TPA is not a new idea; it’s been utilized during presidential administrations going back to 1974 and has only been authorized four times. As the administration focuses on domestic issues, it’s not clear if it will request TPA renewal before the deadline this summer.

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