10-12-11 ECAT Applauds Congressional Passage of Colombia, Korea and Panama Trade Agreements.pdf
10-05-11 ECAT Congratulates House Ways and Means Committee Approval of Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama and Korea.pdf
06-28-11 ECAT Welcomes Movement on Pending Trade Agreements.pdf
07-06-11 ECAT Letter to Chairman Camp Supporting Trade Agreements.pdf
07-06-11 ECAT Letter to Ranking Member Levin Supporting Trade Agreements.pdf
04-06-11 ECAT Applauds Breakthrough on Colombia TPA, Urges Quick Congressional Action.pdf
Current Agreements
and Negotiations
U.S. - Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement
U.S. - Korea Free Trade Agreement
U.S. - Panama Trade Promotion Agreement
Trans - Pacific Partnership (TPP)
Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT)
Did You Know?
Sources : Office of the U.S. Trade Representative ; International Monetary Fund ; How U.S. Multinational Companies Strengthen the U.S. Economy: Revised Update (2010), Matthew Slaughter
Resources
U .S. Business Coalition for TPP
Of fice of the U.S. Trade Representati ve
U.S. International Trade Administration
U.S. International Trade Commission
Trade Stats Express (TSE)
900 17th Street, NW
Suite 1150
Washington, D.C. 20006
T: (202) 659-5147 F: (202) 659-1347
ecattrade_ecattrade.com
Agreements & Negotiations
About Model BIT
The Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) is the template for U.S. BIT negotiations with other countries. The rules of the BIT are based in substantial part on core U.S. legal principles, such the Takings, Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses.
U.S. BITs include:
There are over 2,600 BITs in the world of which the United States is party to only 40, in addition to trade and investment agreements with 15 additional countries.
The United States is engaged in BIT negotiations with China, India, Vietnam and Mauritius, countries with which our major trading partners already have strong BITs in place.
ECAT Primer on Bilateral Investment Treaties.pdf
Bulletin 6-Investor-State Dispute Settlement Is Vital.pdf
Business Community Urges Administration to Ensure Model BIT Will Promote U.S. Exports and Competitiveness.pdf
01-19-10 Business Letter to President on Model BIT.pdf
Collective ECAT Statements on Model Bit 10.2.2009.pdf
10-12-07 Association Letter Urging BITs with BRIC Countries - FINAL.pdf
Proposed Model BIT.doc
ECAT Urges Improvement in Model Bit.doc
The Benefits of BITS
BITs are vital to improve U.S. competitiveness in the international economy for its farmers, manufacturers, service providers and their workers, as well as to promote broader national interests. U.S. investment overseas plays a critical role in promoting exports. Why? The answer was stated quite succinctly in a 2009 World Bank paper: Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the most important vehicle to bring goods and services to foreign markets. Such investment provides the concrete mechanisms to bring goods and services to foreign customers, including through investments in retail stores or other distribution networks to sell U.S. goods and services or to provide after-sale services and investments in research networks to develop products that meet local tastes and increase sales.
Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis demonstrate year-after-year that U.S. companies that invest overseas play a disproportionate role in exporting goods and services beyond our borders. These companies generate nearly half of total U.S. goods exports, while only accounting for about a quarter of total U.S. private-sector output.
More specifically, BITs promote stronger U.S. investments overseas by:
About KORUS
The United States and South Korea negotiated over many years on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a landmark agreement that will eliminate major barriers in Korea's market, promote important new economic opportunities and foster broader U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S.-Korea FTA was signed on June 30, 2007. Congress passed the agreement on October 12, 2011. The President signed the agreement on October 21, 2011.
The Korea FTA will provide a strong opportunity to open-up Korea's market for manufacturing exports, including chemicals and pharmaceuticals, electronics, machinery, medical devices, transportation equipment, autos and processed foods.
The FTA will provide U.S. and Korean economies many benefits, including:
These provisions, among many others, together make the U.S.-Korea FTA a high-standard and commercially-meaningful trade agreement.
Sources: Trade Stats Express , Office of the U.S. Trade Representative , U.S. International Trade Commission
ECAT Bulletin on Korea FTA.pdf
Primer on K, C and P.pdf
investment obs.pdf
Top Facts
About the TPA
The United States and Colombia negotiated over several years on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA), an important accord that will eliminate major barriers in Colombia's market, promote important new economic opportunities, foster improved ties and promote broader U.S. interests in Latin America. The U.S.-Colombia TPA was signed on November 22, 2006, and then amended on June 28, 2007, to incorporate the provisions of the Administration-Congressional trade deal. The Agreement was passed by Congress on October 12, 2011.
Prior to passage, in April 2011, the United States and Colombia concluded negotiations of an Action Plan related to labor rights that addresses U.S. concerns over Colombia's protection of workers and its efforts to bring perpetrators of violence to justice. The Plan provides benchmarks to strengthen unionists' rights and improve protections and enforcement of labor rights in Colombia. These benchmarks will be implemented in phases, with full implementation required before the trade agreement comes into force.
ECAT Bulletin on Colombia TPA.pdf
welcome.pdf
About the Agreement
The United States and Panama negotiated intensively on the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA), an important accord that will eliminate major barriers in Panama's market, promote important new economic opportunities, foster improved ties and promote broader U.S. interests in Latin America.
The U.S.-Panama TPA was signed on June 28, 2007. Panama's legislature approved the final trade agreement on July 11, 2007 by an overwhelming 58-to-3 margin. Congress passed the agreement on October 12, 2011, and it was signed by the President on October 21, 2011.
The U.S.-Panama trade agreement is a comprehensive and high-standard agreement that will eliminate tariffs on U.S. farm and manufactured goods exports, eliminate barriers to access by U.S. service suppliers and set in place important rules from transparency to the protection of property and investment. As a result, this agreement will expand economic opportunities for U.S. businesses in all sectors of the economy and of all sizes.
Panama has long enjoyed duty-free access to the United States; this agreement will make that relationship reciprocal for U.S. farmers, manufacturers and service providers.
This agreement is particularly important for expanding the U.S.-Panamanian commercial relationship as Panama has embarked on an over-$5-billion expansion of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal expansion will build a new lane of traffic, thereby doubling the Canal's capacity and allow the passage of longer and wider ships. Implementation of the Panama agreement will lower the cost of U.S. goods, require non-discriminatory treatment of U.S. services and guarantee non-discriminatory access to government- procurement opportunities that will make U.S. firms much more competitive for Canal expansion work compared to other foreign competitors in Panama's market.
ECAT Bulletin on Panama TPA.pdf
