Rice market opening is must for FTA: US
Korea Times
Rice Market Opening Is Must for FTA: US
13 April 2006
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) A key U.S. negotiator reaffirmed Wednesday that a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea means opening up its rice market.
Richard Crowder, in charge of agricultural negotiations at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), made the point in a speech here that America’s FTAs “are to be comprehensive.”
“That means no product excluded,” he told the Informa Economics policy conference.
Asked specifically about accessing South Korea’s rice market, he said, “We mean comprehensive.” “For example, rice in Korea would be included in the FTA with Korea... our policy and philosophy is, no exclusions.”
South Korea and the United States announced in February the launch of FTA negotiations that, when concluded successfully, would remove tariff and non-tariff trade barriers between the two countries.
They hope to reach an agreement by early spring next year before the so-called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) expires at the end of June.
The TPA requires the U.S. Congress to accept or reject the FTA as is without amendments.
