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Why Trade Matters
Trade and investment agreements have been a major factor in improving U.S. economic growth and U.S. competitiveness in the international economy. Now they are increasingly important to promote economic recovery for U.S. workers, businesses, and communities.
Since the U.S. market is largely open, the main effect of such agreements is to eliminate foreign trade barriers. Doing this opens other countries' markets to our goods and services, and provides a more stable, transparent and fair legal environment for the protection of U.S. property and interests.
The importance of free trade agreements (FTAs) and trade promotion agreements (TPAs) is demonstrated by the fact that U.S. trade with the 17 countries with which the United States had a free trade agreement in effect by the end of 2010 accounted for approximately $1.1 trillion, or nearly 34 percent of total U.S. trade and 41 percent of U.S. exports that year, while these countries only represent seven percent of the world economy.
Current U.S. FTAs
Countries
Entry-Into-Force
Colombia Pending
Panama Pending
Korea Pending
Peru February 1, 2009
Oman January 1, 2009
Costa Rica January 1, 2009
Dominican Republic (CAFTA) March 1, 2007
Bahrain August 1, 2006
Guatemala (CAFTA) July 1, 2006
Nicaragua (CAFTA) April 1, 2006
Honduras (CAFTA) April 1, 2006
El Salvador (CAFTA) March 1, 2006
Morocco 2005
Australia 2005
Singapore 2004
Chile 2004
Jordan 2001
Mexico (NAFTA) 1994
Canada (NAFTA) 1989/1994
Israel 1985
Trade and Your Community
Trade helps create jobs and build prosperous communities. You can see how trade benefits your state, district, and local companies
here
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About Us
In October 1967, a number of United States business leaders joined together because of a shared concern that a new worldwide trade war was in the making. Proposals to severely restrict imports into the United States were moving through the Congress. Threats of retaliation by foreign nations were being openly voiced.
These business representatives felt that a combination of restrictions and retaliations could destroy two decades of progress in the expansion of trade and investment and would damage other areas of international cooperation. To help prevent this, they formed the Emergency Committee for American Trade.
The bills then in Congress did not succeed but the threat to trade and investment continued, and the founders of what came to be known as ECAT were joined by others until the Committee reached its present size.
ECAT's members account for major segments of the manufacturing, financial, processing, merchandising, and publishing sectors of the American economy. Their combined exports run into the tens of billions of dollars. The jobs they provide for American men and women -- including the jobs accounted for by suppliers, dealers, and subcontractors -- are located in every state and cover skills of all levels. Their annual worldwide sales exceed $1.5 trillion, and they employ approximately four million persons.
The members of ECAT are practical business people. They are not free trade theorists. They believe in and support measures designed to promote economic growth through the expansion of international trade and investment.
ECAT members are active supporters of legislative and other measures that facilitate U.S. trade and investment. They additionally are opposed to changes in U.S. trade and tax law that unfairly penalize their competitiveness in world markets. ECAT members support the continued expansion of the multilateral trading system to provide new opportunities for farmers, manufacturers, and service providers, and to improve compliance with agreements to protect intellectual property rights. They also encourage business people overseas to support policies that assure fairer treatment of American goods in foreign markets and to oppose restrictions on U.S. companies.
Members of ECAT, supported by experts from within their companies and from the small ECAT staff, have made their views known through testimony before Congressional committees, through contacts with members of Congress and Administration officials, through liaison with other organizations, and through public information programs, including ECAT's "Trade: Discover the Opportunity" trade outreach program and the Mainstay monograph series on the contribution of U.S. trade and foreign direct investment to the U.S. economy.
900 17th Street, NW
Suite 1150
Washington, D.C. 20006
T: (202)659-5147 F: (202)659-1347
ecattrade_ecattrade.com
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Mainstay Monograph Series on Investment
ECAT Agenda
ECAT Reports
The ECAT Annual Agenda provides a comprehensive look at U.S. trade and investment policies, issues, and trends. The Agenda covers country-specific issues, U.S. trade legislation, international trade bodies, and much, much more.
ECAT's reports span industries and sectors, and deliver in-depth research on important
trade-related issues.
ECAT's Mainstay Monograph Series is a valuable resource describing the contributions U.S. trade and foreign direct investment provide to the U.S. economy.
HufbauerReport.pdf
ENTIRE ECAT 2011 Agenda (not compressed).pdf
HufbauerReportTables.pdf
final_giar_III.pdf
2010 Agenda (Entire).pdf
ECAT Primer on Bilateral Investment Treaties.pdf
2009 Agenda (Entire).pdf
ECAT Bulletin on Colombia TPA, NEW.pdf
2008 Agenda.pdf
Technology, Trade and Investment:
The Public Opinion disconnect
(Mainstay IV)
ECAT Bulletin on Korea FTA, NEW.pdf
2007 Agenda.pdf
ECAT Bulletin on Trade Flows and Jobs.pdf
ECAT 2006 Agenda.pdf
ECAT Bulletin on Panama TPA, NEW.pdf
ECAT 2005 Agenda.pdf
900 17th Street, NW
Suite 1150
Washington, D.C. 20006
T: (202)659-5147 F: (202)659-1347
ecattrade_ecattrade.com
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If you would like to speak with us regarding ECAT membership or an international trade or investment issue, please contact us using the information provided below.
Mailing Address:
Main Office
900 17th Street, N.W.
Suite 1150
Washington, D.C. 20006
Email:
ecattrade_ecattrade.com
Phone and Fax:
T: (202) 659-5147
F: (202) 659-1447
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