The industry body acknowledged his “dedication and leadership” during the negotiations.
The trade ministers of the US, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, announced the successful conclusion of the TTP on Monday after more than five years of intensive rounds of talks. China is not included in the partnership.
“Trade agreements, which eliminate trade barriers overseas, play a critical role in the future of the feed industry as it opens doors to new markets globally,” said AFIA president Joel Newman. “This is particularly important as the future growth of the US animal agriculture industry depends on international consumers, particularly, the growing population and middle class."
The next step in the process will be to evaluate the final TPP details when they are released, said AFIA officials.
The TPP represents a significant opportunity to expand US chicken exports and bring increased economic benefits to chicken farmers and companies across the country, said Mike Brown, president of the national chicken council in the US.
“Our major goals in this deal are to get a strong commitment on enforcement, in particular in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Second, we hope to see that the long-protected Canadian market is finally opened to free trade for poultry. We look forward to reviewing what we hope will be a commercially meaningful and high standard agreement,” he added.
The deal still has to be ratified by the US Congress, and is expected to undergo significant scrutiny, with opposition to the deal already voiced by both Democrats and Republicans.