Senate Passage of the Peru Trade Promotion AgreementStatement by Secretary Condoleezza RiceWashington, DC December 4, 2007 I am gratified by the Senate’s bipartisan approval of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. This is a strong agreement that will benefit both our countries. U.S. businesses, workers, farmers, and ranchers will now be able to compete on a level playing field with their Peruvian counterparts, and U.S. investors will have greater opportunities to play a positive role in the Peruvian economy. Peruvian access to the U.S. market, which had to be renewed by Congress periodically, will become permanent. This permanent access will help build a more efficient and effective economic engine to create growth, jobs and economic opportunities both in Peru and in the United States.
Our collective efforts on both sides of the aisle and with regional partners have gone a long way to establish better two-way trade; and all parties should be commended for seizing the opportunity to benefit all of our citizens. The Senate’s swift vote further reinforces the message that the United States will continue to build stronger relationships with committed partners in the hemisphere. I urge Congress, as we begin a new year, to move forward with the same energy and focus that brought about this agreement’s passage, to the pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. 2007/1089 Released on December 4, 2007 |