Press Release

Secretary Gutierrez To Bring Fourth Administration Led Congressional Delegation to Colombia

Visit will Highlight Key Trade Pact For U.S. Exports and Security

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez announced today he will bring a fourth Administration led U.S. Congressional delegation to Colombia, Nov 17-19 to continue the push to advance the U.S.-Colombia trade deal by showing Members of Congress the remarkable transformation taking place in Colombia.

“Congress has already given Colombian exporters free access to the U.S. market. With this trade agreement, Congress can give U.S. farmers, workers and businesses similar access to the Colombian market,” said Gutierrez.

“Colombia is making tremendous progress. Violence is down, unemployment is down, inflation is down and investment and opportunity is up. Members of Congress will see first hand how a Colombia trade agreement will promote our exports and help an important ally continue to improve stability in our hemisphere,” added Gutierrez.

In 2006, more than 90 percent of Colombia’s imports into the United States entered duty-free under unilateral U.S. trade preference programs, such as the Andean Trade Preferences and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), or under zero Most Favored Nations (MFN) tariffs. This FTA will level the playing field by providing duty-free treatment for U.S. exports to the fast-growing Colombian market. After Canada and Mexico, Colombia is the largest export market for U.S. farm products in the hemisphere.

The congressional delegation includes (subject to change): Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY-6); Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY-11); Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX-11); Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-20); Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA-2); Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH-11); Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-6); Rep. John Salazar (D-CO-3); Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR); and Rep. Melvin Watt (D-NC-12).

The two-day visit will start in Cartagena, Colombia, where the U.S. delegation will meet with President Uribe and his Cabinet to discuss the pending trade agreement with Colombia. Secretary Gutierrez and the delegation will also meet with labor leaders that both support and oppose the FTA and discuss the Uribe Administration’s efforts to reduce violence against trade unionists and address concerns of Members of Congress on human rights issues. The delegation will also see how the U.S. and Colombian governments are working together to improve the quality of life for Afro-Colombians, displaced citizens and indigenous Colombians. Such efforts include helping local youths receive job training, mental health counseling and job placement assistance in an effort to boost formal employment and entrepreneurship. Gutierrez and Members of Congress will also meet with a Colombian labor violence prosecutor to discuss the Uribe Administration’s efforts to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against trade union leaders.

The visit will conclude in Medellin where the Secretary and the delegation will tour Santo Domingo Savio, a portion of Medellin once so dangerous that police officers could not patrol it – where they will see the Uribe Administration’s commitment to promoting positive economic and social change and the significant reduction in the level of violence in Colombia. They will also witness Colombia’s plans for integrating former paramilitary members – known in Colombia as the “demobilized” – back into civil society and the formal economy.

The last stop will include a visit to a flower farm on the outskirts of Medellin. The fresh-cut flower industry in Colombia has emerged as a sustainable alternative to drug crop production. Fresh-cut flower exports have been a major success story under the ATPDEA, with exports to the U.S. valued at $450 million in 2006. The industry employs over 110,000 Colombians directly, many of whom are female heads of household, displaced persons and or members of the indigenous community. These flower exports enter the U.S. market duty-free and this trade supports an estimated 230,000 U.S. jobs, according to the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters.

Background:

Bilateral free trade agreements are one of the best ways to open up foreign markets for U.S. exporters. Currently more than 100 regional trade agreements are being negotiated around the world. Today, the United States has implemented FTAs with 14 countries. Last year, trade with countries with which the United States has FTAs was significantly greater than their relative share of the global economy. Although comprising 7.5 percent of global GDP, not including the United States, those FTA countries accounted for more than 42 percent of U.S. exports.

The United States is Colombia’s leading trade partner, accounting for 39.6 percent of Colombia’s exports and supplying 26.4 percent of the country’s imports in 2006. Colombia-U.S. bilateral trade has almost doubled over the past decade, from $9 billion a year in 1996 to approximately $16 billion in two-way trade in 2006, due in large part to the ATPDEA. Colombia is currently the 29th largest export market for U.S. goods. For more information, please visit http://trade.gov/fta/index.asp.