Andean Trade Preference Extension Act
Floor Speech
ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCE EXTENSION ACT -- (Senate - February 28, 2008)
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Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today regarding the extension of the Andean Trade Preference Act, ATPA. This program, which has been in place for approaching two decades, has broadened economic opportunities in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru as an alternative to illegal drug production and trafficking. With the current extension of this program expiring tomorrow, it is important that Congress is acting this week to extend the program for an additional 10 months. The extension should allow necessary time for passage of the U.S.-Colombia FTA, implementation of the Peru FTA, and continued commerce for Andean producers and U.S. consumers and importers.
However, this extension does not minimize the continued need for the timely advancement of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, FTA, which would deepen our two nation's important relationship, broaden market opportunities for U.S. producers and companies, and provide longer term certainty for Colombian exporters and workers that short-term ATPA extensions do not provide. We must do all that we can to maintain and improve our Nation's global competitiveness and relations throughout the world, and the U.S.-Colombia FTA is a much needed step in the right direction for providing economic opportunities for Americans through reciprocal trade treatment for U.S. products. For example, the U.S.-Colombia FTA would provide immediate duty-free access for fresh potatoes and almost all processed potatoes. Currently, Colombia's WTO tariff bindings on potatoes and potato products range from 70 to 102 percent and applied tariff rates range from 5 to 20 percent. This is just one example of the areas where the U.S. stands to gain improved access into one of the region's fastest growing markets through this agreement.
Additionally, as with all trade preferences and agreements, the requirements must be fully enforced. The U.S. is providing special trade preferences to these countries through this program, and with that comes a responsibility to comply with the standards and obligations set forth in ATPA. Our ATPA partner countries must treat U.S. investors consistently with current ATPA eligibility.
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