USTR Says Colombia Labor Plan Clears Way for Hill TPA Talks
On April 7, 2011, President Obama and Colombian President Santos will meet to approve a recently agreed-upon “Action Plan Related to Labor Rights” for workers in Colombia. According to the U.S. Trade Representative, agreement on the Action Plan clears the way for the Administration to begin discussions with Congress on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA)1.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
(The U.S.-Colombia TPA has been stalled due to concerns about Colombia’s enforcement of internationally recognized labor rights, prevention of violence against labor leaders, and prosecution of the perpetrators of such violence.)
Colombia’s Implementation of Key Plan Elements is a Precondition for TPA
The Action Plan outlines the series of steps that Colombia has agreed to take to undertake over the next weeks and months to address the outstanding U.S. labor concerns. According to an Administration fact sheet, successful implementation of key elements of the Action Plan will be a precondition for the Colombia TPA to enter into effect.
Administration Wants to Work with Congress on TPA, Other FTAs, GSP, Etc.
The USTR states that Colombia’s progress on its labor issues will now enable the Administration to work with Congress on the scheduling and sequencing of its consideration of the Colombia TPA.
These talks will occur in the context of the overall trade agenda, including the other two pending FTAs (Korea and Panama), the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, the Andean Trade Preference Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPA/ATPDEA), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TPA), the lifting of Jackson-Vanik for Russia, etc. USTR Kirk has noted that the Administration is not looking to “package” all of these trade issues together.
1International Trade Commission (ITC) sources have previously stated that the term "trade promotion agreement" (TPA) is essentially interchangeable with the term "free trade agreement" (FTA).
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 04/01/11 news, 11040122, for BP summary of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Trade Subcommittee’s April 7, 2011 hearing on the pending South Korea free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).
See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/18/11 news, 11031810, for BP summary of March 17, 2011 House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing on the Colombia TPA.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/14/11 news, 11031437, for BP summary on U.S.-Colombia meetings earlier in March 2011.
See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/11/11 news, 11031110, for BP summary of Senate Finance leaders’ request for technical discussions to begin on Colombia and Panama FTA bills.)
Administration fact sheets on the U.S.-Colombia TPA and Action Plan available here