When President Obama touched down in Pittsburgh for the G-20 Summit last week, he had the chance to lead on trade policies that will level the playing field for American workers and small businesses.

Trade is critical to U.S. economic growth and vital to global economic development. Trade - especially exports - has been the one bright spot in our economy over recent years, accounting at one point for nearly 60 percent of our economic growth. Forty-two percent of American jobs depend on trade, and exports account for one in every eight dollars earned by Americans last year. Yet in the midst of this severe economic downturn, U.S. exports have declined by 20 percent - marking the worst decline in U.S. exports since World War II.