FTA with USA has harmed Colombia, Senator says
Prensa Latina 13.05.2013
FTA with USA has harmed Colombia, Senator says
Bogota, May 13 (Prensa Latina) A year after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States came into effect, the balance for Colombia is negative: we export less and import more, affirmed senator of the Alternative Democratic Pole Party Jorge Enrique Robledo.
Figures show that the FTA has been harmful for our country, noted the senator after reaffirming the need to reach an agreement regardless of political or social issues but favoring national agriculture and the production system.
Robledo underlined the existence of three pressing topics: stop the FTA negotiation, renegotiate or denounce the already signed agreements and implement a state-backed policy for national agriculture and industry.
During his analysis, published at the Senate’s website, the legislator quoted reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which show that from June 2011 and March 2012, when the FTA had not yet come into effect, Colombian agricultural imports reached 1,042,914 tons.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the sales of Colombian products to the U.S., 10 months after the FTA was implemented in March 2013, dropped 18 percent in comparison with the same period in 2012.
However, products imported from the U.S. increased 9.31 percent, proving that the FTA has damaged the trade balance between both countries.
