Grow our economy

Contrary to common rhetoric, small businesses benefit significantly from international trade agreements, sometimes even more than larger companies do. While multinationals can independently climb barriers to enter new markets and can withstand high international tariffs without marked price increases, those obstacles are often cost-prohibitive for small businesses.

A whopping 97 percent of all U.S. exporters are small businesses, which accounts for 25 percent of manufacturing sales. My company, Vezta Triumph Ltd., works with southern small businesses that are often part of the supply chains of larger corporations. Our job is to help them overcome obstacles to trade.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership will be a win-win for American manufacturing by increasing the ability of small businesses to sell their products abroad.

Access to new markets, reducing tariffs and improving international corporate governance standards help businesses of all sizes. By helping U.S. businesses we can make our nation’s economy stronger.

This story was originally published February 5, 2016 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Grow our economy."