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<h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=4 color="#333333"
face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:#333333'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8480-us-trade-report-lukewarm-on-colombia-us-fta.html">US
trade report lukewarm on Colombia FTA </a><o:p></o:p></span></font></h2>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=createdate1><font size=2 color="#333333"
face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:#333333;text-transform:uppercase'>Monday, 01 March 2010 15:14 </span></font></span><span
class=createby1><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>Elyssa
Pachico </span></font></span><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333;
text-transform:uppercase'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333;display:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'><img
border=0 width=590 height=240 id="_x0000_i1038"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01CABAB0.B81D5160" alt="colombia, usa, fta, tlc"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>The <st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> 2010 Trade Policy Agenda cautions that the <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region> free trade agreement will not be voted
on in U.S. Congress until <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colombia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
does more to address labor abuses.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>"We have
begun working with Colombia to assess and improve the labor code and the
measures to address violence against labor union officials, to ensure that union
rights in that country can be fully and freely exercised," the report <a
href="http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2010/march/kirk-comments-2010-trade-policy-agenda"
target="_blank">says</a>, adding, "the Administration worked to identify
what further steps Colombia’s government needs to take to ensure that
workers’ fundamental labor rights are protected in law and
practice."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>The report
states that resolving pending agreements with <st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Panama</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Korea</st1:country-region> is a key part of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> trade
commitments in 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>President
Uribe, who met with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton while they were both in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Uruguay</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <a
href="http://www.eltiempo.com/economia/noticias_portafolio/home/reporte-de-la-agenda-comercial-de-eu-despeja-pocas-dudas-sobre-aprobacion-del-tlc-con-colombia_7323288-1?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter"
target="_blank">said</a> that they discussed the passage of the U.S.-Colombia
trade deal and that he felt confident it would soon be approved.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'>The treaty
was signed by the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colombia</st1:place></st1:country-region> in
2006. It has not yet been ratified by U.S. Congress, due to concerns about
labor rights, and human rights in general, in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Colombia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333333" face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:#333333'><a
href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8480-us-trade-report-lukewarm-on-colombia-us-fta.html">http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8480-us-trade-report-lukewarm-on-colombia-us-fta.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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