(Washington DC)  – Today U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) welcomed Senate passage of the bipartisan free trade agreements between the United States and Colombia, Panama and South Korea. 

“Making it easier for businesses to trade is exactly the kind of practical solution Nevadans need to get back to work. Open trade policies have already unlocked markets for many of Nevada’s biggest employers, including mining and gaming. With thoughtful safeguards in place, these agreements will continue to generate more business, create well-paying, skilled jobs in Nevada and draw millions of dollars into our state. 

“Nevada still has to overcome a 13.4% unemployment rate, and these free trade bills are a move in the right direction. Now that the Senate has passed these long overdue agreements, Congress needs to tackle job-creating legislation that will reform the tax code, reduce government over-regulation and establish an energy policy that will get our economy growing again,” said Senator Heller. 

The three agreements will increase U.S. exports by at least $13 billion, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission, and could generate 250,000 new jobs nationally. Exports from Nevada to South Korea, Panama and Colombia have continued to rise over the past decade, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in exports.