United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act

UNITED STATES-OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT -- (House of Representatives - July 20, 2006)

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my views regarding the Oman Free Trade Agreement.

I have supported certain trade agreements in the past because I believe they can be an important step toward opening markets for U.S. businesses. I also believe that the economic interdependence that flows from trade agreements can help create a more cooperative and peaceful world by solidifying ties between nations. That is why I supported agreements with Australia, Chile, Morocco, Bahrain and Singapore.

This outlook informs my approach to trade agreements and as I carefully considered the provisions of the Oman Free Trade agreement, I recognized its potential for opening Oman's market to U.S. agriculture, manufacturing and the services industry. But a trade agreement is about more than trade; it is also about the fair treatment of workers and other considerations.

With respect to worker's rights, the Oman FTA is seriously flawed. Like CAFTA, the Oman FTA only requires the Omani Government to enforce its own labor laws. And when violations occur, the Omani Government is only required to pay a financial penalty to itself. This provision is a source of concern to me in light of reports by the international labor community that Oman's labor laws fall far short of meeting the International Labor Organization's core labor standards and do not provide Omani workers with the fundamental protections needed to prevent workplace exploitation.

Oman has a massive guest worker population, comprising over 75 percent of Oman's total work force. According to reports, in Oman, guest workers are prevented from exercising their international labor rights and have reportedly been jailed for complaining about the working conditions and violation of labor rights.

My concerns about the Oman FTA were reinforced by news reports coming out of Jordan about violations of Jordanian workers rights. Before these incidents, the Jordan Free Trade Agreement was considered the gold standard for labor provisions in trade agreements. Jordan's labor laws are strong and it has long experience administrating them. That is why, when I read the May 3, 2006, New York Times article describing the abusive conditions in Jordan's apparel industry, I also grew concerned about the lack of protections for workers in Oman.

Reports are emerging from Jordan of an environment where workers put in 20-hour days with little or no pay and where physical abuse is rampant. If workers rights are not enforced in Jordan, there is little hope that workers in Oman--where independent unions are outlawed--will have their rights protected.

Trade agreements must at least hold open the reasonable prospect that workers will be treated fairly. This agreement fails that test.

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