Democratic lawmakers call on Obama to ratify Korea FTA

By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- A group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers have called on President Barack Obama to move quickly to ratify the pending free trade deals with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, fearing any further delay migth hurt the competitiveness of American products abroad.

Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and 30 other members of the New Democrat Coalition,
comprising 67 members of the House, sent a letter to President Obama last
Thursday after a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, according to a
statement posted on the NDC's Web site.
"Indeed, other nations have not hesitated to move forward aggressively on their
own trade barrier reducing treaties," the letter said. "In the meantime, U.S.
farmers, manufacturers and service providers are missing out on the advantage of
a level playing field and will be forced to adjust to standards that put us at a
competitive disadvantage."
The representatives were discussing free trade deals with South Korea and other
major trading partners.
South Korea and India put a free trade deal into effect early this year, and
Seoul hopes to ratify another deal with the European Union, signed last year,
that will take effect this coming summer.
"That is why we are eager to work closely with your administration to push
forward on critical pending bilateral and multilateral agreements that will
protect and open markets for U.S. investment with enforceable labor and
environmental standards, which help drive more than 50 percent of U.S. exports
today," the letter said.
The Korea FTA has been sidelined by health care, financial reform, economic
recovery legislation and other more pressing issues, and the Democratic Congress
sides with trade unions who fear possible job losses as a result of the trade
pacts amid the worst recession in decades.
U.S. officials have complained about an imbalance in auto trade and the
restricted shipment of U.S. beef to South Korea, hoping to address such concerns
in side agreements without revising the text of the deal.
South Korea wants the pact to be ratified by this summer, fearing that any
further delay may jeopardize the chance of the deal passing through Congress this
year due to the politically sensitive mid-term elections in November.
In his first State of the Union address late last month, Obama pledged to enhance
trade with South Korea, Colombia and Panama to help fuel the fledgling economic
recovery.
"We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are," Obama
said. "If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we
will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. That's why we will continue to
shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets, and why we will
strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea,
Panama, and Colombia."
Obama has not yet presented the deals to Congress for deliberation amid growing
protectionist sentiments.
The Foreign Affairs and Trade committee of South Korea's National Assembly early
last year passed the FTA with the U.S., and the ruling party is awaiting a
similar move by the U.S. Congress before ratifying the deal, signed in 2007.
In the speech, Obama fell short of presenting a timeline for the Korea FTA's
ratification.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs echoed Obama last week.
"He did not outline and I don't have to outline a specific timeline for that,
understanding that the president has laid out a very aggressive goal on
increasing exports, partly through the trade agreements," he said.
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis, meanwhile, said late last
month, "We hope to come up with a solution that works, but it will be hard to do.
Substance will drive the timing."
hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)