San Diego, CA – U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, the chief United States official on international trade, came to San Diego Tuesday to highlight California as a national model for why President’ Obama’s historic trade agenda is central to his State of the Union theme of Middle Class Economics: because exports and trade unlock economic opportunity for Americans. 

This morning, Ambassador Froman joined with U.S. Representative Scott Peters (CA-52) to tour Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits, a small business that is exporting American-made craft beer to multiple Asia-Pacific countries with whom the United States is negotiating a major trade agreement.

At Ballast Point, Ambassador Froman noted that American beer exporters can face tariffs of up to 35 percent in some TPP countries, which in our current negotiations the United States is working to reduce or eliminate.

Afterward, Ambassador Froman and Congressman Peters visited Solar Turbines Incorporated, a local company and Caterpillar subsidiary that is helping the San Diego economy by exporting turbines for power generation. Solar Turbines Incorporated exports 75 percent of its products.

The contrast between these two companies illustrates the diverse economic benefits that exports bring to San Diegan workers and businesses.

“In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that Made-in-America exports are essential to Middle Class Economics – and San Diego is a prime example of how the President’s trade agenda will unlock economic opportunity for American workers and companies of all sizes,” said Ambassador Froman. “Record-high exports from Californian businesses like Solar Turbines Incorporated and Ballast Point Brewing and Spirits support nearly one million jobs across California. Now, as we work to realize a groundbreaking new trade agreement with the Asia Pacific region and to harness bipartisan support in Congress for trade, we’re on the threshold of delivering a major economic win for California and the United States.”

"The more we encourage exporting of San Diego-made products and technology, the more jobs we can create for San Diegans,” said Congressman Peters. “That’s why I worked to bring Ambassador Froman to San Diego to hear directly from our local businesses and workers. Today we toured Solar Turbines, which exports products across the world every day, and Ballast Point Brewery, a local craft brewery helping make San Diego an internationally known craft beer hub. There are steps the Federal government can be taking to help our companies continue to grow here in our region, and better compete in the international marketplace.”

In 2014, California exported a record-breaking $174.1 billion of Made-in-America goods to the world – supporting almost a million jobs. $17.9 billion of those exports came from the San Diego area.

The Obama Administration has undertaken the most ambitious trade agenda in American history to expand opportunity across the United States, which will build on California’s strong record and enhance economic growth through unprecedented trade deals that are currently being negotiated with countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the European Union.

These agreements will break down barriers to three of California’s top five export markets, spurring economic growth, supporting good-paying export-related jobs, and strengthening the Middle Class.