LIANE HANSEN, Host:
Here to talk about all of this is NPR's senior business editor Marilyn Geewax. Welcome back, Marilyn.
MARILYN GEEWAX: Good morning, Liane.
HANSEN: Why is trade policy getting so much attention?
GEEWAX: So, just last week, the federal government released the data for November and it showed exports were up for the third straight month to about $160 billion. That means President Obama is going to push hard for increases in exports. And he's set a goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.
HANSEN: Well, what is the administration doing to make this happen?
GEEWAX: So, now when the new Congress is settling in, the White House is going to push for approval for free trade agreements, also called FTAs, that have already been worked out with other countries.
HANSEN: What does the business community say about this?
GEEWAX: Well, last week I went to hear the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's annual State of American Business address. Tom Donohue, the Chamber's president, was emphatic about the need for these FTAs. Here's what he said.
TOM DONOHUE: The administration must work urgently with the new Congress to approve the South Korean and Colombian and Panama agreements. We will pull out all the stops we can to help the administration get the votes to pass these bills.
GEEWAX: Liane, you know, the chamber is pretty good at getting what it wants when it decides to pull out all the stops.
HANSEN: Yeah, but where do these free trade agreements stand in Congress?
GEEWAX: So, if Congress approves it, it would be by far the biggest trade deal that we've had since the North American Free Trade Agreement - that was NAFTA - in 1994.
HANSEN: Well, Marilyn, if business interests are for it and President Obama supports it, then it should pass, right?
GEEWAX: But, you know, given that the tech community, the Chamber of Commerce, the United Auto Workers are all behind the agreement, I think most people bet that the administration will get its way on this.
GEEWAX: NPR senior business editor Marilyn Geewax. Thanks as always, Marilyn.
HANSEN: You're welcome, Liane.