The farmer leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) praised the Senate for a vote today that advances trade promotion authority (TPA) to President Barack Obama’s desk, and called on the president to sign the bill as quickly as possible, citing the importance of TPA in creating and strengthening international trade agreements.

“Today, the Senate voted to bring the U.S. back to the international bargaining table,” said ASA President and Texas soybean farmer Wade Cowan. “With negotiators fully equipped and empowered, we no longer have to miss out on the global network of trading partnerships that continues to grow, even in our absence.”

Cowan pointed to the importance of the Senate’s vote in moving toward finalizing negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“Most immediately, the Senate’s vote puts us back on track in terms of finalizing a Trans-Pacific Partnership that includes vital export markets for U.S. soybeans and meats, as well as the developing markets that grow in their demand for American soy every day,” Cowan said. “We can now move to enact a high-standard TPP that further opens valuable markets and doesn’t put our farmers at a disadvantage.”

Soybeans represent the nation’s most important agricultural export, and Cowan highlighted the crucial role international trade plays in the industry, as well as the many benefits trade yields for the country.

“The U.S. exports roughly 60 percent of the soybeans we grow. That investment in overseas markets creates demand here at home, and translates to real dollars for farmers and rural communities,” Cowan said. “Plus, for the nation as a whole, trade both creates and sustains jobs. Every billion dollars in U.S. agricultural exports supports almost 7,000 American jobs. An administration equipped with TPA is better able to represent this essential component of our economy at the bargaining table, and the Senate deserves a big ‘thank you’ for helping to make it happen.”