Following the Jan. 25 House Ways and Means Committee hearing, Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) President Dennis Slater issued a statement noting that the hearing on pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea “is a positive step toward recognizing the urgent need to help America’s farmers and manufacturers create more jobs in the U.S. by exporting their products to new markets around the world.

“Failure to pass export agreements with South Korea, Columbia, and Panama has put America’s manufacturers and farmers at a competitive disadvantage in a fiercely global economy,” he said. “Existing trade barriers make it difficult to compete in countries that want American-made products. Without export agreements this year, our nation’s manufacturers and farmers will lose valuable market share and fall behind our competitors.”