WASHINGTON — May 13, 2014 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3):
Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) led a bipartisan group of congressional colleagues in calling on U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to insist that any proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement include measures that address the impact of unsafe, illegally subsidized Vietnamese seafood exports on U.S. consumers and the U.S. fishing and aquaculture industries. In a letter to Ambassador Froman, Congressman Jones and his colleagues explained that Vietnamese seafood exports often contain illegal veterinary medicines, fungicides, and other chemicals that do not meet U.S. food safety standards. Furthermore, shrimp and catfish exports – likely benefitting from illegal government subsidies – have been dumped into the U.S. market at artificially low prices, harming American shrimpers and catfish farmers.
“Any TPP negotiations to provide Vietnam with increased seafood and fisheries market access to the United States must include binding, enforceable provisions to address these critical issues,” the letter reads. “These negotiations provide a key leverage point to ensure that Vietnam’s industry plays by the rules and does not unfairly disadvantage American fishing and aquaculture industries or imperil consumers with dangerous seafood exports.”
Congressman Jones was joined on the letter by Congressmen Rick Crawford (AR-1), Steve Stockman (TX-36), and Mike McIntyre (NC-7). A copy of the letter can be foundhere.
For additional information, please contact Sarah Howard in Congressman Jones’ office at (202) 225-3415 or sarah.howard@mail.house.gov.
Read the Release from the office of Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3)