Many of us take for granted or don’t fully realize how business conditions influence our daily lives. From jobs to everyday necessities, local and global commerce depends on countless individual decisions as well as the laws, rules and regulations that shape them.
Currently, Congress is debating several trade-related bills that could benefit businesses and employees right here in Georgia, including Solvay, a global chemical company with a large and growing manufacturing presence in the U.S. and a world class research and development center in Alpharetta.
Solvay makes a range of chemicals that are the building blocks for consumer goods and industrial products. Our innovations include high-strength specialty polymers, or plastics, used in popular smart phones, automotive parts, medical equipment and other applications where durability is essential. Right now, Solvay employs more than 25,000 people around the world and nearly 500 in Georgia, including more than 200 employees in Alpharetta. We also have manufacturing sites in Winder and Augusta. In fact, we recently began an expansion project in Augusta that will add more jobs, thanks in part to global trade.
But Solvay isn’t the only business in Georgia that depends on trade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia companies exported nearly $39.4 billion in goods and services in 2014. Trade with Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners has steadily increased over the past 10 years. Today, 38 percent of goods made in Georgia are exported to those countries. The Business Roundtable estimates that international trade supports nearly 1.2 million Georgia employees, or about 1 in 5 jobs in the state.
With proven results like these, it’s easy to see future trade agreements hold such positive potential. Trade deals currently under negotiation, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), have the potential to open Asian and European markets for Solvay and countless other businesses, large and small. The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and the Generalized System of Preferences, also under consideration by Congress, help to further break down barriers to trade and boost competitiveness of U.S. businesses at home and abroad.
Our leaders in Washington recognize the important role the U.S. plays in leading world trade. They also recognize the role the business community plays in providing good-paying jobs here in Georgia and across the country. As an employer and manufacturer, I urge our members of Congress to advance these trade programs for the benefit of Georgia businesses and employees.
About the Author
