U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement

Publication Date: September 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Trade

Type:

Coverage: Colombia

Abstract:

On February 27, 2006, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Colombia's Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism, Jorge Humberto Botero, announced the conclusion of a bilateral free trade agreement. On August 24, 2006, President Bush notified the Congress of his intention to sign the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA). The CTPA is a comprehensive trade agreement which, if ratified, would eliminate tariffs and other barriers in goods and services trade between the United States and Colombia. A free trade agreement with Colombia was originally intended to be part of a broader U.S.-Andean free trade agreement (FTA), including Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The labor and sugar provisions may be among the more controversial of the agreement. It is unknown when CTPA implementing legislation may be introduced in the U.S. Congress; it is likely that Congressional consideration of the agreement may not take place until early 2007. This report will be updated as events warrant.