US trade official says FTA deadline not important
Hankyoreh, Korea
U.S. trade official says FTA deadline not important
Stresses outcome of free-trade deal rather than speed
29 September 2006
U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Karan Bhatia said on September 26 that a deadline will not be the priority on talks regarding a South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.
In a Washington seminar jointly held by the Chosun Ilbo and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Bhatia said that the most important principle of the free-trade agreement (FTA) talks is that both South Korea and the U.S. are satisfied with the results of the negotiations. Neither the U.S. nor South Korea should rush or force an agreement to meet the deadline, Bhatia said, as reported by The Chosun Ilbo on September 28.
South Korea and the U.S. hope to conclude their FTA talks by early next year, as the U.S. administration’s Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) expires on June 30, 2007. The TPA allows trade negotiators to wrap up a free trade agreement without Congressional amendment. Under the TPA, the only jurisdiction Congress has over free-trade agreements is a simple yes-or-no vote.
