Opinion Editorial

Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez
Opinion Editorial, Savannah Morning News
“Approving Free Trade Pacts Will Boost Savannah Exports”

Every day, Georgians are hard at work creating products to export to global markets. Last year, Georgia's merchandise exports reached $23 billion, a 62 percent increase since 2002.

We can increase the competitiveness of this region's economy by creating opportunities to further increase those exports.

During the first quarter of this year, trade was a critical bright spot in our economy and a key factor that is keeping our economy growing. America exported a record $1.6 trillion last year and we are on track to beat that record this year. Products and services created, manufactured and grown in Georgia and throughout America are increasingly finding their way into the homes and workplaces of people around the globe.

Savannah is a global transportation gateway and an international center for agriculture, construction equipment and high technology products. Products such as those produced by world-class manufacturers like Gulfstream are making the world smaller and the American economy stronger. The Port of Savannah extends this region's international reach.

In 2006, the Savannah metro region accounted for nearly $2 billion of the state's total exports and newly released data for the first half of 2007 show that exports are on pace to exceed that this year. But there will be even greater opportunities for this region's exporters if Congress acts on three trade agreements (FTAs) currently under consideration.

Free Trade Agreements
Lowering trade barriers is one way to boost trade, and regional and national competitiveness. Among the most effective tools to do that are free trade agreements (FTAs). The United States has implemented FTAs with 11 countries since the beginning of the Bush Administration.

Congress has a golden opportunity to do more by passing pending FTAs with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Combined, these three countries have nearly 100 million consumers with a gross domestic product of more than $1 trillion.

These important agreements deserve to be passed as quickly as possible.

Our FTAs do more than enhance trade - they also strengthen the rule of law, encourage stability and promote social justice. Nowhere is this more important than Colombia, one of our staunchest allies in our hemisphere.

Under a democratically elected president, Colombia has experienced real change. Between 2002 and today, violence and poverty have dropped dramatically, while the economy has grown steadily. This is a country that has long been our partner in fighting terrorism. Earlier this month, for example, the Colombian army freed 15 hostages, including three Americans.

We must not turn our back on a friendly neighbor that has made a commitment to confronting violence and terrorism while remaining true to democratic principles.

Helping Georgia exporters
Ironically, there is already free trade between the U.S. and Colombia - one way free trade because the U.S. Congress has granted Colombia unilateral trade preferences. As a consequence, 92 percent of their exports enter the U.S. market duty-free, while American exports have been subject to more than $1.1 billion of Colombian tariffs since this agreement was signed more than 600 days ago.

An FTA will eliminate these barriers, providing American exporters an even playing field on which to compete.

An agreement with Colombia will, for example, strengthen the intellectual property protections of Georgia's innovative companies; eliminate duties on exports of paper products and transportation equipment and open new markets for Georgia's agricultural exports.

Savannah made the decision long ago to engage with the world, and today thousands of people and hundreds of businesses here are successfully competing in the global economy. Now we have the opportunity to increase our competitiveness, lower trade barriers and strengthen key alliances. Now is the time to act and support critical free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea - they are simply the right thing to do for Savannah, for Georgia and for our nation.