U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday sent the Democrats-controlled Congress a free trade agreement with Colombia, urging lawmakers to approve it "as quickly as possible."
"If Congress fails to approve this agreement, it would not only abandon a brave ally, it would send a signal throughout the region that America cannot be counted on to support its friends," Bush told a news conference.
The president signed a letter Monday to send Congress legislation that implements the U.S. free trade agreement with Colombia, according to a White House press release.
That, by statute, will require Congress to vote on the agreement within 90 days.
"The need for this agreement is too urgent -- the stakes for our national security are too high -- to allow this year to end without a vote," Bush said.
The free trade agreement is heavily opposed by Democrats, who contend that Colombia has not done enough to halt violence, protect labor activists and demobilize paramilitary organizations.
The president disagrees, saying Colombia has addressed the issues.
The U.S.-Colombia agreement is one of the four free trade agreements Bush wants the Congress to approve before he leaves office in early 2009.
The U.S.-Peru got approval late last year. The pending three are deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
Over 90 percent of imports from Colombia now enter the United States duty-free, but U.S. industrial and consumer exports to Colombia face tariffs up to 35 percent, and many U.S. agricultural products face much higher tariffs, said the press release.
Once implemented, the agreement will eliminate tariffs on more than 80 percent of American exports of industrial and consumer goods immediately and 100 percent of American exports over time, it said.
Source:Xinhua
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