Congressional Committee Extends Andean Preference Deadline

By James A. Morrissey, Washington Correspondent

By a unanimous vote, the House Ways and Means Committee has approved a 10-month extension until December 31 of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), which is due to expire February 28. The ATPA grants reciprocal duty-free market access for products manufactured in the United States, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. The full House is expected to act next week in order to beat the expiration deadline. The United States and Peru already have agreed to a separate free trade agreement that would be permanent and not subject to periodic expiration dates. A similar pact has been negotiated with Colombia, but it has run into problems in Congress.

In announcing the extension, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., said it will build on a successful Andean program and help develop stronger economic ties between the United States and the participating countries. Rangel added that, while a longer extension could have helped encourage stability and predictability — something sought by importers of textiles and apparel — a compromise was necessary to accommodate what he said is a “range of options” surrounding the issue of renewal.

February 19, 2008