A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should immediately implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should immediately implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. (Introduced in Senate)

SRES 206 IS

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 206

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should immediately implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 25, 2009

Mr. JOHANNS (for himself, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. MARTINEZ, and Mr. BOND) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should immediately implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

Whereas, since his election in 2002, the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, has been overwhelmingly successful in strengthening the institutions of Colombia, fighting terrorism, improving the economy of Colombia, and extending the authority of the central government, the social support network, and security to most of Colombia;

Whereas, during President Uribe's term, the economy of Colombia grew at an average rate of more than 5 percent per year between 2002 and 2007;

Whereas, according to the World Bank, the total gross domestic product of Colombia increased from $93,000,000,000 in 2002 to $207,800,000,000 in 2007;

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, approximately 10,000,000 people in Colombia have been lifted out of poverty during the past 5 years;

Whereas, according to the Ministry of Defense of Colombia, between 2002 and 2007, kidnappings in Colombia decreased by 83 percent, murders decreased by 40 percent, and terrorist attacks decreased by 76 percent;

Whereas police are now present in all 1,099 municipalities in Colombia, including areas previously held by various criminal and terrorist groups;

Whereas, according to the Department of State, more than 30,000 paramilitaries have been demobilized and disarmed since 2002;

Whereas, in July 2008, the security forces of Colombia successfully rescued 15 prisoners held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt and 3 citizens of the United States, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes;

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, unemployment in Colombia fell from 16 percent in 2002 to 9.9 percent in 2007;

Whereas, partially in recognition of the impressive economic, political, and diplomatic advances Colombia has made during the past decade, the United States negotiated and signed the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement on November 22, 2006, and a protocol of amendment to the Agreement on June 28, 2007;

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Colombia is currently the 27th largest trading partner of the United States with respect to goods;

Whereas, according to the United States International Trade Commission, goods valued at $11,400,000,000 were exported from the United States to Colombia in 2008, an increase from $3,600,000,000 in 2002;

Whereas, according to the United States International Trade Commission, implementing the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement would boost exports from the United States by an estimated $1,100,000,000;

Whereas, more than 90 percent of exports from Colombia to the United States already enter the United States duty-free under the Andean Trade Preference Act (19 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) and the Generalized System of Preferences under title V of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2461 et seq.);

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, more than 80 percent of consumer and industrial products exported from the United States to Colombia will enter Colombia duty-free as soon as the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement enters into force and all remaining tariffs on such products will be eliminated within 10 years after the Agreement enters into force;

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the primary exports from the United States to Colombia in 2008 were $2,600,000,000 in machinery, $997,000,000 in mineral fuel, $974,000,000 in organic chemicals, $969,000,000 in corn and wheat cereals, and $950,000,000 in electrical machinery;

Whereas, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Colombia is the 15th largest market for farm products exported from the United States, with the United States exporting almost $1,700,000,000 worth of farm products to Colombia in 2008;

Whereas, since 2006, the quantity of agricultural products exported from the United States to Colombia has increased by approximately 40 percent per year;

Whereas, according to the Department of Agriculture, 99.9 percent of agricultural products imported into the United States from Colombia enter the United States duty-free, but no agricultural products exported from the United States to Colombia currently enter Colombia duty-free;

Whereas, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement would increase sales of agricultural products produced in the United States by $910,000,000,000 each year;

Whereas, according to the Department of Agriculture, more than half of agricultural products exported from the United States to Colombia will enter Colombia duty-free as soon as the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement enters into force and all remaining tariffs on such products will be phased out over time;

Whereas the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement will level the playing field for workers, businesses, and farmers in the United States by making duty-free treatment a 2-way street between the United States and Colombia for the first time;

Whereas, in the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, Colombia agreed to exceed commitments made by Colombia as a member of the World Trade Organization and to dismantle significant barriers to services and investment from the United States; and

Whereas, in the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the United States and Colombia reaffirm their obligations as members of the International Labour Organization: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) the Senate--

(A) recognizes the historic successes achieved by the President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, in rebuilding the Government of Colombia, strengthening the institutions of Colombia, and solidifying the rule of law in Colombia;

(B) congratulates President Uribe, the Government of Colombia, and the security forces of Colombia for significant successes in fighting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC);

(C) recognizes the close ties between the United States and Colombia in the fight against illicit narcotics, terrorism, and transnational crime; and

(D) recognizes that the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement is enormously advantageous for workers, businesses, and farmers in the United States, who would be able to export goods to Colombia duty-free for the first time; and

(2) it is the sense of that Senate that--

(A) it is in the security, economic, and diplomatic interests of the United States to deepen the relationship between the United States and Colombia; and

(B) the United States should implement the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement immediately.