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Colombia Sees
U.S. "Will" To Work Out Trade Pact
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - Colombia's trade minister said
he sees a "will to find a solution" among
top U.S. officials on the stalled trade deal
with his nation but he said he did not know
how long it would take.
"We didn't discuss any timeframe," Luis
Guillermo Plata told reporters after meeting
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and
senior U.S. lawmakers.
"We said, 'Let's focus on getting the
content down,' and then, of course,
depending on that content, some things might
take longer than others," Plata said.
The bilateral trade deal was negotiated more
than two years ago by former President
George W. Bush but needs approval from
Congress, where some Democrats want Colombia
to do more to end violence against labor
union leaders.
President Barack Obama opposed the agreement
during last year's presidential campaign but
recently asked Kirk to work with Colombia
and Congress to resolve concerns.
Plata said he did not discuss details with
lawmakers about what measures Colombia needs
to take to get the deal approved.
"We see that there's a will to work, there's
a will to find a solution, there's a will to
sit down and set up an agenda, define some
topics, and try to resolve the situation and
get the (free trade agreement) going," Plata
said.
The U.S. International Trade Commission
estimated in December 2006 that the deal
could boost U.S. exports to Colombia by
about $1.1 billion annually and increase U.S
imports from that country by about $487
million.
Congress needs to pass the deal soon or U.S.
exporters will be at a disadvantage to
competitors from Canada and the European
Union, which are finalizing trade deals with
Colombia, said Bill Lane, a government
affairs director with construction equipment
maker Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N).
"This has to get done this year," Lane told
reporters at a meeting hosted by the
National Foreign Trade Council. (Reporting
by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Bill Trott) |
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