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Colombia
On February 27, 2006, the United States and Colombia announced that they had concluded their negotiations for the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA). This process began in May 2004 with talks between the U.S., Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Peru and the U.S. concluded a bilateral process in December 2005. The Office of the Trade Representative reports that negotiations are ongoing with Ecuador, and Bolivia could enter an agreement at a later date.
The agreement between the United States and Colombia will expand trade between the two countries, eliminate tariffs and other barriers to goods and services, and promote economic growth.
According to U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, "The free trade agreement with Colombia will generate export opportunities for U.S. agriculture, industry, and service providers, and help create jobs in the United States. The agreement will help foster economic development in Colombia, and contribute to efforts to counter narco-terrorism, which threatens democracy and regional stability."
Under the CTPA, 80% of U.S. consumer and industrial products and more than two-thirds of current U.S. farm exports will enter Colombia duty-free immediately. The agreement will also strengthen intellectual property and investor protections, open services markets, and enhance transparency in government procurement.
Ambassador Portman added: "An agreement with Colombia is an essential component of our regional strategy to advance free trade within our hemisphere, combat narco-trafficking, build democratic institutions, and promote economic development. In addition to eliminating tariffs, Colombia will remove barriers to trade in services, provide a secure, predictable legal framework for U.S. investors operating in Colombia, provide for effective enforcement of labor and environmental laws, protect intellectual property, and provide an effective system to settle disputes. Also, since many products from Colombia already enter the U.S. market duty-free under the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), the agreement will level the playing field and make duty-free treatment a two-way street."
For more information about the Chamber's regional initiatives, please contact Kathleen McInerney at kmcinerney@uschamber.com.
For a more in-depth presentation of the agreement, view "Free Trade with Colombia, A Summary of the Agreement", released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative in February, 2006.
- Growth, Hope and Opportunity (PDF)
- Colombia: A Country Moving Forward (PDF)
- Level that Playing Field! (PDF)
- Here are 7,705 Great Reasons (PDF)
- Look to Chile (PDF)
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Who Supports the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement?
-Sectoral fact sheets on manufacturing, agriculture, services, and other aspects of the agreement - The United States Contributes to Prosperity in Colombia (PDF)
- A Foreign Policy Imperative (PDF)
- Letter from 14 CEOs Supporting the Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
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Why Support ColombiaTrade Agreement Packet
-A compilation of many of the above documents for easy sharing - Panama--A Win-Win Trade Agreement (PDF)
Colombia
Economic Impact Studies
Implications of a Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement on U.S. Agriculture (PDF)
Publications and Speeches
Fernando Araujo's speech, Council of the Americas, March 20, 2007 (PDF)
About the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
- Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
- Advisory Group Reports on U.S.-Colombia FTA --USTR
Trade Statistics
- State by State Fact Sheets by the U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Statistics
- U.S. Exports to Colombia from 2002-2006
- International Trade Administration
- World Trade Organization
- Central Bank of Colombia
Country Information
