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Jan 14, 2009
The American Soybean Association (ASA) submitted a document outlining its 2009 policy priorities to the Obama Administration ahead of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration as President of the United States on January 20, 2009. By developing and advocating soybean farmer top policy priorities to the incoming Obama Administration, ASA continues its rich tradition of working in the best interest of U.S. soybean farmers.
"ASA looks forward to working closely with the Obama Administration to achieve these policy priorities, which not only make sense for soybean farmers, but also benefit our entire country through reduced dependence on foreign oil, job creation, increased U.S. exports and a modernized infrastructure system," said ASA President Johnny Dodson, a soybean producer from Halls, Tenn.
Highlights of ASA’s priorities as submitted to the Obama Administration are as follows:
Under the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, ASA supports regulations for biodiesel that pay on all gallons, not just incremental production.
ASA supports Congressional passage as soon as possible of the Colombia, South Korea and Panama Free Trade Agreements (FTA). Regarding future FTA negotiations, ASA believes the Obama Administration should select countries that offer significant opportunities for increased U.S. agricultural exports in general, and exports of soybeans and livestock products in particular.
Regarding the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, ASA will accept restrictions on U.S. domestic support provided there is comparable expansion of meaningful market access for soybean and livestock products in key developing country markets. Unless significant and commercially meaningful increases in market access are obtained and the trade distorting effects of Differential Export Taxes are eliminated in an agreement, ASA believes that no agreement is better than a bad agreement.
The full text of ASA’s submission may be found here.
The document will be posted and made available for public comment on the Administration’s "Seat at the Table" website at www.change.gov.