The members of Idaho's congressional delegation deserve a thankful pat on the back for the important position they have taken regarding portions of the proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The Idaho delegation has taken a strong and united position in opposition to certain aspects of CAFTA, particularly provisions related to the sugar industry, because of the damaging effects that increased sugar stocks will almost certainly have on Idaho's agricultural economy.

The CAFTA agreement was negotiated between the United States and six Central America nations and is currently awaiting action in Congress, where it is running into determined opposition.

A broad and diverse coalition of interests has combined to oppose congressional approval for a couple of fundamental reasons: The proposed agreement is bad for the U.S. economy and would prompt disastrous job loses in basic American industries. The U.S. sugar industry harbors deep concerns about the agreement as it stands. Thankfully, the Idaho delegation understands what is at stake.

The Idaho sugar industry is highly efficient and has learned to compete in an environment of declining prices and demand for our product, but we cannot stay competitive, or in business, if our domestic industry is forced to try to compete against foreign governments that aggressively subsidize their industries.

The proposed CAFTA agreement will do nothing to address this hugely unfair situation and will, in fact, only serve to make it worse.

A recent study conducted by the University of Idaho makes the case that the sugar industry in Idaho contributed more than $1 billion in gross sales, nearly $340 million in value-added impact to the state's economy, created more than 7,000 jobs and contributed nearly $30 million in indirect business taxes.

Maintaining this vital Idaho agricultural industry should be a critical goal of American trade policy. Rather, the CAFTA agreement puts the industry in the crosshairs of what can only be called "unfair trade."

Still, CAFTA is about far more than the domestic U.S. sugar industry. Environmental, human rights and labor organizations strongly oppose CAFTA, all on grounds that the proposed agreement is not right for the United States, our workers and our basic industries.

Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, along with Reps. Butch Otter and Mike Simpson, have studied the consequences of this proposal and understand its potential effects on a key Idaho industry.

They deserve our thanks and encouragement for standing up for American industry and keeping good jobs in the state of Idaho and our sugar beet industry alive.

Ralph Burton of Boise is president and CEO of Amalgamated Sugar Co., a grower-owned cooperative of more than 1,200 members. The company employs more than 1,500 people at its four sugar-processing facilities in Idaho and eastern Oregon.