From the office of Rep. Robert Dold (Ill., 10th District)…
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Robert Dold (IL-10) voted to approve three free trade agreements. The three agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea have bipartisan support in Congress and are part of President Obama’s jobs plan.
“Small businesses throughout the 10th District of Illinois depend on our ability to export to other countries,” said Dold. “I voted to approve these trade agreements so that we can give local job creators an opportunity to expand and create new jobs. Right here in our district over 58,000 jobs rely on exports- the approval of these agreements will help increase exports and create new business right here at home.”
Background Information on the Free Trade Agreements:
- Exports directly support 58,076 jobs in Illinois’ 10th District. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Accessed 10/12/11)
- Almost 25% of all manufacturing jobs in Illinois are dependent on exports. That is one in every four workers. (U.S. Department of Commerce, Accessed 10/12/11)
- 47 companies in the 10th District export to other nations. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Accessed 10/12/11)
- Since 2003, Illinois manufacturing exports rose more than three times as fast as the state’s overall economy. (National Association of Manufacturers, Accessed 10/12/11)