Rep. Panetta Calls for USMCA Technical Corrections, Timely TPA Renewal

House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., has a district full of farms growing grapes, berries, lettuce, artichokes, garlic or other non-commodity crops. His constituents want export markets, so opening trade negotiations is popular in Central California. Panetta, who was interviewed online by the Washington International Trade Association on Nov. 23, said there needs to be a lot of education in the Democratic caucus on why a renewal of Trade Promotion Authority is important before it expires July 1.

“When it comes to the TPA, we need to make sure that members of Congress need to understand how important it is, that it really gives us our say,” he said. He'd like to see an emphasis on sanitary and phytosanitary issues in the new TPA.

On current tariffs, Panetta expressed irritation toward the European Union for the recent round of retaliatory tariffs on $4 billion in tariffs -- agreeing with the administration that those tariffs were illegal because they punish the U.S. for a tax incentive for Boeing that was repealed. Still, he said, “At some point we need to sit down and settle this dispute instead of simply reacting.” He said he hopes the Joe Biden administration will be “more willing to sit down with the Europeans, not poke them in the eye.”

He said his district's fruit exports aren't affected by the tariffs, but wine grapes, which are grown in his district, are, because alcoholic beverages have been a target. “These products don’t have anything to do with aircraft subsidies,” he said.

Panetta, who was on the working group that won changes to USMCA that paved its way to passage, said Congress needs to pass a technical corrections bill, because without it, the funding increase for the environmentally focused North American Development Bank can't be used. He didn't speak to what was holding it up, or when it might get a vote.