ITI CALLS FOR QUICK PASSAGE OF U.S.-COLOMBIA FTA

04.07.2008

ITI CALLS FOR QUICK PASSAGE OF U.S.-COLOMBIA FTA

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) President Rhett Dawson strongly encouraged Congress to quickly pass the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which the President signed today.

Dawson said "the U.S. high-tech industry looks forward to bipartisan approval of this important agreement. The U.S.-Colombia trade pact will allow American high-tech companies to sell their products in the Colombian market duty-free – leveling the playing field at an important time for our own workers and our economy."

ITI has been active in promoting free trade agreements and looks forward to working closely with Congress to encourage prompt approval of the U.S.-Colombia agreement and other trade-related legislation.

The U.S.-Colombia trade deal is important both commercially and strategically. With 44 million consumers, and one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America, Colombia presents a burgeoning market for the U.S. high-tech industry. As a friendly neighbor in South America, Colombia is important for U.S. strategic and business interests in the region.

Under this agreement, Colombia will sign the Information Technology Agreement, which immediately lowers tariffs on most high-tech goods to zero. A free trade agreement with Colombia would also create new opportunities for service industries that rely heavily on high-tech products, such as financial services and telecommunications.

ABOUT ITI

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) represents the nation’s leading high-tech companies and works to advance public policies that boost innovation and global prosperity. ITI helps member companies achieve their policy objectives through building relationships with Members of Congress, Administration officials, and foreign governments; organizing industry-wide consensus on policy issues; and working to enact tech-friendly government policies.

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