Senate Finance Leaders Ask USTR to Begin Technical Discussions on Colombia and Panama FTA Bills
On March 10, 2011, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D) and Ranking Member Hatch (R) called on U.S. Trade Representative Kirk to immediately begin technical discussions with the Finance Committee on legislation to implement the U.S.-Colombia and U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
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On March 9, 2011, the Committee held a hearing in which Committee leaders asked the USTR to provide detail on further actions the Administration is seeking from Colombia and Panama and a timetable for resolving any outstanding concerns. At that hearing, the USTR told the Committee the additional steps the Administration is seeking from Colombia and Panama do not require modifications to the trade agreements themselves. The Chairman and Ranking Member state in their letter that they believe that beginning the technical discussions will help remove doubt from U.S. trading partners that Congress and the Administration are committed to moving these agreements expeditiously once the outstanding issues have been resolved.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/10/11 news, 11031026, for BP summary of the March 9, 2011 hearing at which Committee leaders said that the three pending FTAs are unlikely to be passed unless they are "packaged" in some form.
See ITT's Online Archives or 03/08/11 news, 11030824, for BP summary of USTR's announcement that the Administration is ready to begin talks with Congress on draft U.S.-Korea FTA (KORUS FTA) implementing bill.)