Dallas, TX – Today United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk traveled to Fort Worth and Dallas where he discussed how the American Jobs Act will support thousands of Texas jobs. In Fort Worth, Ambassador Kirk delivered a keynote speech to the Texas Economic Development Council’s 50th annual conference, highlighting the impact the American Jobs Act will have on the Texas economy. In his remarks, Ambassador Kirk focused on the tangible benefits of the legislation, from putting teachers and first responders back to work to the extension of unemployment benefits for Texans.
“From teachers to construction workers to families struggling to pay their mortgage, the American Jobs Act will invest in cities across this state and help put Texans back to work, while also helping to grow and expand Texas businesses,” said Ambassador Ron Kirk. “In addition, the pending trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama will help increase Texas exports to consumers around the world. These are two very real examples of how President Obama is working tirelessly to ensure Texas businesses continue to have the markets and consumers available to them to sell their quality 'Made in America' goods and support more jobs here at home.”
Ambassador Kirk then traveled to Dallas where he attended the State Fair of Texas. There, he kicked off a youth livestock auction with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, met with local Ford representatives and visited the Go Texan Store with Texas State Representative Raphael Anchia. At these events, Ambassador Kirk discussed how American exports support jobs for Texans working in agriculture and manufacturing.
Ambassador Kirk also used the visit to highlight Texas’ status as America’s leading state exporter. Last year, Texas exported $207 billion worth of goods to the world, accounting for 17.1 percent of Texas’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) That same year, Texas’ top goods export categories were computer and electronic products, chemicals, and petroleum and coal products. In 2008, the last year for which data is available, an estimated 795,000 jobs were supported by Texas goods exports. Texas is the third largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $6.1 billion in agricultural exports abroad or 5.6 percent of the U.S. total in FY 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas was the largest state exporter of cotton and linters, the third largest exporter of live animals and meat, the second largest exporter of feeds and fodders, the eighth largest exporter of feed grains, and the fourth largest exporter of wheat in 2010.
