Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative William J. Jefferson (D-LA) joined U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Portman to announce the launch of formal negotiations aimed at a free trade agreement between the United States and Malaysia.  Jefferson, a leader on trade issues and member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, believes this trade agreement will open the doors for increased trade opportunities for the United States and Louisiana.

“I applaud Ambassador Portman for launching trade negotiations with this important country,” Jefferson said.  “The completion of this agreement will create new opportunities for U.S. manufacturers, farmers and service providers, strengthen U.S. economic relationships in the region, and broaden our national security goals.  Louisiana is likely to benefit significantly from this opportunity with Malaysia as its exports have been declining since 2003 and opening this relationship will increase export/import traffic through the Port of New Orleans."

Eliminating trade barriers with Malaysia will keep America competitive with other Pacific Rim countries such as Japan, Australia, China and New Zealand, who are already negotiating trade agreements with Malaysia.  Further, Malaysia has been a key partner in national security efforts and is a leader in the Islamic world in promoting regional defense cooperation with the U.S. in Southeast Asia.

“I look forward to working with Ambassador Portman to build a comprehensive agreement, to reach the best deal possible for Louisiana, for the U.S. business community, for our workers and for our country,” Jefferson said.  “These negotiations open the door to further cooperation with respect to our global trade and economic goals and our national security efforts in Southeast Asia and the Islamic world.”