U.S.-Colombia FTA: American Workers Wait as Congress Dithers

by Brad Peck

Following up on Patrick's post from earlier, here is James Roberts on Human Events:

In October, the unemployment rate in the United States reached 10.2 percent, the highest in a generation. Yet even with millions of Americans scrambling for a job, Congress refuses to take a simple step that could put many back to work: approving a Free Trade Agreement with Colombia. Lawmakers have been dragging their feet on this FTA since it was signed in late 2006. In that time, thousands of U.S. workers may have lost their jobs in export industries. Instead of the "jobs saved or created" President Obama boasts about when he discusses his so-called stimulus plan, these are just the opposite -- jobs lost or destroyed. And many of them could have been saved if Congress had just approved the FTA.

...The cost of delay is real. So far, according to the Latin America Trade Coalition's "Colombia Tariff Ticker," U.S. companies have paid $2.3 billion in unnecessary duties to the Colombian treasury in the 1,086 days since the FTA was signed. That $2.3 billion has translated into higher prices in Colombia for U.S. goods and services, putting them at a competitive disadvantage there. It also means reduced profits for U.S. companies and lost jobs at home. What's especially galling is that Congress has already given Colombia duty-free access to the U.S. market through the Andean Trade Preference Act, so its failure to approve the Colombia FTA hurts only U.S. workers.

...Trade liberalization has opened markets worldwide to U.S. goods and services. It also has created a level of competition that leads to innovation, better and less expensive products, higher-paying jobs for Americans, and the investment needed for long-term economic recovery, growth and continued prosperity. The best way to ensure that America continues to reap the benefits of international commerce is for our government to recommit to advancing trade liberalization. That goal that would be aided by passing and implementing pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

Learn more at the Latin America Trade Coalition and tell Congress it's time to create jobs by leveling the playing field for America's workers.