Senate Gives US President Power to Negotiate Trade Deals

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 02, 2002

Senate Gives US President Power to Negotiate Trade Deals

The US Congress passed a legislation on Thursday which returned to the US president the power to negotiate trade agreements with foreign countries.

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The US Congress passed a legislation on Thursday which returned to the US president the power to negotiate trade agreements with foreign countries.

The Senate passed the bill with a vote of 64-34 to restore president's trade powers that had expired in 1994 but not renewed since.

Trade promotion authority, also known as "fast track", is in itself only a procedural tool. It allows the US president to negotiate trade agreements that the Congress can approve or reject but cannot change.

The bill passed by the House of the representatives with a voteof 215-212 last Saturday before its summer recess and now goes to President Bush for his signature.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the president was "very grateful" the Senate was moving on the legislation.

President Bush pressed the Congress repeatedly to pass the measure before leaving for the August break, saying its promise offostering economic growth and jobs would be an important means of reviving the business community's flagging confidence.

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