KALISPELL – Sen. Max Baucus thinks the United States is missing the boat when it comes to trade.
At a global trade conference Wednesday in Kalispell, the Montana Democrat said other nations are sealing free-trade deals among themselves, lowering and eliminating tariffs to pump new vigor into their markets.
But he says the United States is “a little slow.”
Most on a panel of five international trade ambassadors — from Vietnam, Colombia, Morocco, New Zealand and Peru — agreed.
Baucus pointed to New Zealand trade ambassador Roy Ferguson. His country has a trade agreement with China, but not with the United States; and Baucus says it’s not for lack of interest on the part of New Zealand.
Baucus says America needs to reach out more aggressively to get trade agreements with other countries.