Skip to main content

Amata Supports President's Withdraw from TPP

January 23, 2017

Washington, D.C. – Monday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata, issued the following statement after President Trump signed his first executive order; withdrawing the United States from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP was signed by President Obama last February, but had not yet been ratified by Congress.

"It's only the first full work day for the President, and he is already bringing positive change to the nation. As you know, the TPP would have placed the tuna canning industry in American Samoa at great risk by allowing those countries like Thailand, where they pay their workers a fraction of what ours make to have the same access to markets in the United States without any of the fees associated with it. The fact that our canneries are American companies, allows them free access to the markets here. The TPP would have completely erased this small but significant benefit, which allows our canneries to compete with those companies whose wages border on the equivalent of servitude.

Getting the United States out of the TPP has been one of the cornerstones of my policy to keep our canneries competitive, and I could not be happier to know that the TPP will no longer be of concern thanks to President Trump's action today. I will continue to push for polices and legislation that allows our local industry to thrive, such as returning the ability to set local wages back to the local government.

Not only does the President's decision make sense economically, but also morally, and I want to thank him for keeping his word, and withdrawing the United States from what would have been an economic disaster especially here in American Samoa. I also want to applaud his standing up for the rights of our working men and women who do such a great job.

I look forward to working with the new administration to help grow the economies of the Pacific territories and insular areas, and bring about real opportunity for the people of American Samoa. It's a new day, and this is the first of many positive changes to come."

# # #

Issues:Fisheries