Congressional Action Days attendees got some rare face time with a presidential cabinet member. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez spent a half-hour with attendees talking about two critical industry issues: open trade and immigration reform.

Gutierrez acknowledged the somewhat "controversial" nature of the pending free trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia, given that the Colombian flower growers compete with U.S. flower growers. But he was adamant that "as a whole, these agreements will help our economy and your industry."

The administration under President George W. Bush continues to urge Congress to approve a U.S./Colombian FTA.  Secretary Gutierrez has led several congressional delegations on trips to Colombia to learn more about the country and to see firsthand that progress is being made by the country on environmental and labor issues.

The proposed FTA has generated opposition in Congress from lawmakers who argue that Colombia must reduce the level of violence in the country before the FTA can move forward.
  
Gutierrez pointed out that, while Colombian exporters have had duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 15 years through the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), U.S. exporters have had to pay duties on products they ship to that country. The Free Trade Agreement "levels the playing field," he said.

Gutierrez, who mentioned that he's taking a congressional delegation to Colombia this weekend, pointed out the role of open trade in promoting social justice, stability and a reduction in violence in Colombia.

"A decade ago, Colombia was on the verge of becoming a failed state ... fighting Marxist guerrillas, a country under siege," he said, and noted Colombia's "impressive" reduction in violence since then. "It doesn't make sense that we'd put at risk what they've achieved [by not approving the Free Trade Agreement] ... especially a country that has an impact on our society, with the drugs that are produced there and exported to the U.S."

The 15 trade agreements in place in the European Union, and the five agreements pending in Canada, Gutierrez said, are all the more reason to push for free trade with Colombia.

Not signing the FTA will "send a message that the world's biggest economy is not the world's leading economy. Protectionism doesn't protect," he said. 
 
The Secretary also talked about comprehensive immigration reform, of which he is an ardent supporter. Border control is an important first step, but "we have to do more," he said.
 
"What we're beginning to see in some parts of the country is that businesses are moving overseas where they can find labor," he said. "We don't want to see that. We need to be conscious about the overall strategy that we're putting in place."

The Secretary recognized SAF's leadership on immigration reform and specifically cited SAF's role in lobbying for swift enactment of AgJOBS.

"I can't tell you how much we thank you for your interest and leadership," he said. "It's not an easy issue, it's very emotional, but your industry has been at the forefront."

Until comprehensive immigration reform is passed, Gutierrez acknowledged the administration will continue to look for mechanisms to improve border security.

 
--Kate F. Penn
kpenn@safnow.org

 

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