By Rep. Kristi Noem

With the finger pointing in Washington lately over taxes, spending and our debt, some folks back here in South Dakota might think there is nothing both sides can agree on to get our economy back on track.  I can tell you that I’m as frustrated with the broken political process as most of you.  So is there an item on the agenda that both sides can agree on?  Is there something that can help kick start our economy and create jobs without adding to our deficit?

One item I believe we can all agree on is opening up our markets further to more parts of the world.  We all know that South Dakota, and the rest of the United States, produce the best products and services compared to anywhere else around the globe.  Currently there are three languishing trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.  These trade deals have been fully negotiated and both Republicans and Democrats have voiced support for them.  They have not yet been considered because of minor issues, but both sides are making progress. President Obama went so far as to mention his desire to get these trade deals through in his speech recently to a joint session of Congress discussing plans to create jobs.  It’s my hope that we can get any issues ironed out quickly so we can start reaping the benefits of increased market access right away.

We know that South Dakota will benefit because we’ve already seen the impact of recently passed trade agreements.  For example, since the U.S.-Chile trade agreement took effect in 2004, South Dakota’s exports to Chile have grown by 512 percent. 

These pending trade agreements have huge implications for agriculture. USDA reported that in 2009, South Dakota agriculture exports totaled $2.3 billion and supported over 19,000 jobs, on and off the farm. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, if all three U.S. trade agreements are approved, it would create an estimated $3 billion in additional U.S agriculture exports and support as many as 27,000 U.S. jobs. Increasing market access for South Dakota agriculture products like beef, corn, soybeans, and wheat will boost our state’s number one industry and the state’s overall economy.

The benefits to our economy are obvious. More market access means more demand.  More demand for goods and services means more American – and South Dakotan – jobs.  We need to put differences aside and finalize these trade deals as soon as possible.

Rep. Kristi Noem is South Dakota’s lone U.S. Representative, elected in November 2010.  She serves on the Agriculture, Education and Workforce and Natural Resources Committees.