Free Trade Agreement Ignores Colombian History of Violence
Against Trade Unions On May 15, the United States and its
traditionally close ally Colombia took further measures to
promote free trade in the region. The negotiations that took
place in 2006 under the Bush Administration are finally being
implemented, after more than five years of being held up in
congress. The Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is designed to
lower tariffs, increase competition, and bolster trade mobility
in both regions. BBC reports that “the pact means a wide variety
of goods, including machinery, raw materials and agricultural
products, can be traded without import tariffs needing to be
paid.” The United States International Trade Commission in its
report, U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement: Potential
Economy-wide and Selected Sectoral Effects, touts the benefits
of the new agreement, announcing “U.S. exports to Colombia may
be higher by approximately $1.1 billion, U.S. imports from
Colombia may be higher by $487 million, a