USA and Peru sign a FTA. What will the American Public do ??


U.S., Peru Strike Free-Trade Agreement
Administration Hopes to Include Colombia, Ecuador

By Paul Blustein
Washington Post Staff Writer




Thursday, December 8, 2005; Page D06


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02791.html


Some excerpts :


"The United States and Peru struck a deal yesterday on a free-trade agreement, the latest move in the Bush administration's efforts to build a network of trade accords with friendly countries.

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One possible scenario is that the administration could use Peru's acceptance of the deal as leverage to prod Colombia and Ecuador to sign on to similar terms, as they may become concerned that their neighbor's products will gain preferential access to the U.S. market. Most Andean exports already enjoy duty-free treatment in the United States under a special arrangement aimed at boosting the region's economies, but free-trade agreements are more comprehensive and do not require repeated congressional re-authorization.

"There is no decision yet in terms of moving the legislation," said a senior U.S. trade official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because the sensitive negotiations had just been completed. "Obviously, we would like to have a broader set of agreements that include the other Andean countries. However, the agreement we reached today is a bilateral free-trade agreement with Peru which can be enacted as such."


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Even if Colombia and Ecuador join in, an Andean free-trade agreement would have only a minor impact on the U.S. economy. Exports by U.S. firms to all the Andean nations totaled $8.3 billion in 2004, about 1 percent of overall shipments of U.S. goods abroad. But the administration contends that bilateral and regional trade help to promote stability and growth abroad."

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end of article

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What will the American Public do ??


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