Washington, D.C. - Business Roundtable today praised the Senate Finance Committee's bipartisan passage of the Peru trade promotion agreement (PTPA) as major step forward in making the Peru agreement a reality.

"Leading members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have stepped forward to support the Peru agreement," said John J. Castellani, president of Business Roundtable. "When Democrats and Republicans stand together on trade, it shows the world that we are serious about maintaining America's leadership in the international economy."

"We commend the members of the Senate Finance Committee, especially Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley, for bringing this pact one step closer to fruition," Castellani said.

Castellani pointed out that more than one in five U.S. jobs are now tied to the global marketplace. Just 15 years ago, before a rise in bipartisan trade deals, only one in ten jobs were linked to imports and exports.

Passage of the Peru TPA will be a shot in the arm for the business community. The PTPA will expand opportunities for U.S. companies as barriers to exports fall. Peruvian exports to the U.S. currently face few hurdles, while our exports to Peru encounter stiff barriers.

Castellani urged continued bipartisan support to secure passage of the remaining pending pacts with Korea, Colombia and Panama.