Ambassador Kirk addressed the National League of Cities today, speaking on the importance of trade for American businesses and workers. Read an excerpt of his speech below and the full remarks here.
More than 90 percent of American exports come from metropolitan areas.
In 2007, businesses and workers in the New York metropolitan area exported more than $80 billion worth of goods. Other cities weren’t far behind. Metropolitan areas like Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Detroit all exported tens of billions of dollars worth of American goods.
But that’s not to say smaller communities aren’t benefitting from trade as well. In fact, trade is the lifeblood of many rural towns and communities. One-quarter of American agricultural production is sold abroad, and more than 900,000 American jobs are supported by those agricultural exports.
That’s why I’ve been collaborating with state and local leaders from Washington to Iowa, New York to Kentucky, and Michigan to Vermont – and the list could go on.
That’s why I made it a priority to visit with U.S. Mayors at their winter meeting here in Washington, DC and with State Legislators at their fall gathering in San Francisco.
And that’s why I made it a priority to be here today. Because as a former mayor, I know you understand better than anyone else how USTR can help your local businesses support jobs with trade."
