US, Peru sign free trade deal

[Judi Lynn]

US, Peru sign free trade deal

By Doug Palmer
32 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Peru signed a free trade agreement on Wednesday, setting the stage for a potentially tough fight in Congress unless the Bush administration offers Democrats stronger assurances that Lima will abide by international labor standards.

"This agreement with Peru is instrumental in our strategy to advance prosperity within our hemisphere," U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to build bipartisan support for the U.S. - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in both houses of Congress in order to quickly approve this high-quality pact."

However, the agreement faces an uncertain future in Peru, where leading presidential candidate Ollanta Humala has said the pact must be scrapped or renegotiated.

Humala, a nationalist, won the first round of the presidential election on Sunday with around 31 percent of the vote. Leftist former president Alan Garcia, who also opposes the free trade agreement, is in a close race for second place with Lourdes Flores, a lawyer and former congresswoman who is the choice of international investors.
(snip/...)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060412/pl_nm/trade_peru_usa_dc;_ylt=A0SOwksIRz1EUt8AwgIa.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
(My emphasis)

http://www.smh.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1016843088138_2002/03/24/wld_bush25,0.jpg

Presidents George Bush and
Alejandro Toledo exchange toasts in
Lima, Peru, on Saturday, days after a
bombing near the US embassy killed
nine.
Photo: AFP/Stephen Jaffe



Very possibly the
NEW Peruvian President.

[sasquatch]

1. Am I the only one that finds it funny that the SA Caudillos are -

kicking Bush's ass?

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. "to advance prosperity within our hemisphere" ????

.
.
.

"

"This agreement with Peru is instrumental in our strategy to advance prosperity within our hemisphere," U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman (news, bio, voting record) said in a statement."

hemisphere???

Ain't North America in the NORTHern hemisphere, and Peru in the SOUTHern hemisphere?

maybe I gotta buy a new globe :shrug:

[robcon]

7. Western Hemisphere...

both are there.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Bush wanted to take advantage of Toledo's "Going Out of Bidness" sale

before a new Peruvian leftist President could slam the door in his face.

[Robbien]

4. Ha! Bet the rich global pirates are not happy that their pet Flores

is running third in this election.

[cal04]

5. US trade pact causes row in Peru

Peru's decision to sign a free-trade agreement with the US has provoked a domestic political row, with critics calling for the deal to be blocked. The deal, signed by President Alejandro Toledo in Washington, is politically sensitive, coming in the middle of presidential elections in Peru. Ollanta Humala, who is currently leading after the first ballot, urged Peru's Congress to block the deal. Supporters say it will boost trade, but critics warn it will threaten jobs.

'Poorly drafted'
Mr Humala, the ex-army officer who is the frontrunner with 31% of votes counted so far, said he was not opposed to a deal in principle. But he said the agreement was wrong for Peru in its current form and should be redrafted.
"We are in favour of a trade deal with the US and with different nations," he said. "What has happened is this commercial deal was poorly negotiated." Peru should hold a referendum to allow people to have their say on the deal before Congress debated it, he added.

Alan Garcia, who has won 24.5% of the vote so far, also said the deal should be modified, but third-placed candidate Lourdes Flores is supporting the agreement. Critics have warned that the deal could see subsidised US imports such as rice, cotton and syrup flooding into Peru. Unions fear this could overwhelm Peruvian farmers and small producers, resulting in thousands of job losses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4906092.stm

[Judi Lynn]

6. Great story! 2 of the 3 candidates oppose this anti-Peruvian move. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Oh interesting. Will Peruvians be free to trade their workforce in the US?

No? Then stop calling it "free trade".