Peru FTA Has One More Hurdle
All that remains for the Peru Free Trade Agreement to be implemented is a favorable vote by the Senate.
Compiled by staff
Published: Dec 4, 2007
Many months after it was drafted and several weeks since it was approved by the House of Representatives, the Peru Free Trade Agreement is very close to being finalized. Senate approval is all that remains in its way, and the Senate is expected to vote on the legislation Tuesday.
If the Senate does vote in favor as anticipated, only three free trade agreements signed before Presidential Trade Promotion Authority expired in June will be awaiting Congressional action: those with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
While many groups have voiced support for the Peru FTA, R-Calf USA does not look favorably upon the agreement.
"The Peru FTA also contains inadequate health and safety safeguards to protect the health and welfare of the U.S. livestock industry and U.S. consumers," says R-CALF Trade Committee Co-Chair Eric Nelson.
R-Calf sent formal letters to every member of the Senate Monday, urging them to vote against the legislation.
"The Peru FTA should not be approved because it does not provide for balanced market access opportunities that will serve the interests of U.S. cattle producers," Nelson says. "Given Peru's significant export potential, an FTA without adequate import safeguards that are triggered by volume and by price and that endure beyond tariff and quota phase-out periods would seriously disadvantage U.S. cattle producers."
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