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Washington,DC - Twenty-six American companies and organizations released a letter today sent to United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick strongly endorsing the Doha Ministerial Declaration and committing to support the Administration on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA).

The letter, signed by the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition (CITAC), Consumers for World Trade, the International Mass Retail Association, and Nissan among others, thanked Ambassador Zoellick for his "determined and successful efforts in securing a 'good deal' for U.S. industries and consumers."

While those opposed to the Doha Ministerial Declaration have made a great deal of noise, "there are many more American workers, companies and consumers who will benefit from the agreement than could be adversely impacted," said Janet Kopenhaver, CITAC's Executive Director.

According to the letter, "The Declaration opens a process that holds out the potential for enormous benefits to America's agricultural, industrial, and service sectors, in addition to US industrial and retail consumers. It will almost certainly lower tariff and non-tariff barriers and encourage more transparent legal and regulatory regimes."

Signatories to the letter credit US recognition of "the near-unanimous consensus supporting negotiations on dumping and countervailing duty issues" with the success at Doha. A resolution passed by the House of Representatives on the eve of the Doha conference supports this view.

The letter also endorsed Trade Promotion Authority as the next step necessary to achieve the goals of Doha and committed themselves to working with the Administration "to pass a balanced TPA bill quickly."

The text of the letter to Ambassador Zoellick is attached.

CITAC is a coalition of American companies and trade associations that support open and expanding international trade in the interests of the United States, both economically and for national security.