In yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice laid out a strong case for free trade with Colombia on U.S. security grounds. She also noted the following facts on how this deal will benefit U.S. workers:
This agreement is also a far better deal for U.S. workers than the one they have now. At present, more than 90% of Colombian goods enter the U.S. duty-free, while our exports to Colombia face tariffs of up to 35%. This agreement would level the playing field for U.S. workers, enabling them to send the products of their labor to Colombia on the same terms that Colombians now send theirs to us. The result, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission, would be an annual increase of approximately $1.1 billion in U.S. exports to Colombia.
