Auto Dealer Group Lauds Senate Passage of Trade Promotion Authority

WASHINGTON, May 24 -- The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) lauds Senate passage of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). "The benefits of free trade are clear, and AIADA urges the House and Senate conferees to send a clean compromise TPA package to the president as soon as possible," said AIADA President Walter Huizenga.

More than 500 dealers were on Capitol Hill on May 22 urging their Senators to support TPA as part of the association's 25th annual Automotive Congress in Washington, D.C. The dealers reiterated to their members of Congress the importance of an open automotive market in the U.S., which has produced safer, more fuel-efficient vehicles with greater quality, value and a multitude of features that benefit the American consumer.

AIADA also fought off an attempt by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) late in the debate to add a protectionist amendment to TPA that threatened to negatively impact automotive trade with Japan and Korea. Due to this effort, a less obstructionist amendment was approved that adds a reference to automotive trade in the description of trade negotiating objectives, but does not mention any country by name or add any requirement for negotiations. AIADA will continue to watch for similar amendments during conference.

AIADA supports free trade and an open automotive market, as the trade association representing 10,000 American automobile dealerships that sell and service international nameplate brands Acura, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Daewoo, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Saab, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. Visit AIADA online at http://www.aiada.org .