ISDS Case Map
Colombia
"We have no doubt that if 51 CEOs had been murdered in Colombia last year, this deal would be on a very slow track indeed," says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
The United Steelworkers is both disappointed and outraged to learn that the Obama Administration has apparently reached an agreement with Colombia over a free trade agreement.
Largely hailed by Republican lawmakers, the preliminary details of the deal, dubbed an "Action Plan for Labour Rights", were received sceptically by some Democrat representatives, while labour and rights groups noted that they lacked breadth, depth, and accountability measures.
The agreement will remove 90% of current tariffs assessed to Dow's more than $200 million in American manufactured goods exported to Colombia.
The United Steelworkers called news of the amended Colombia pact "devastating" and said they, as well as the AFL-CIO, would continue to oppose the deal.
Colombia and the US may announce a deal as soon as today on measures clearing the way for a stalled free-trade agreement, according to six people familiar with the talks.
Last week, Canada's Constitutional Court gave the go-ahead to place into effect a free trade agreement between Canada and Colombia. The agreement could take effect as soon as July 1.
Colombia's social protection minister has met with members of the European Parliament to explain his country's advances in human rights issues as it pertains to the pending free trade agreement between Colombia and the EU, newspaper El Espectador reported Tuesday.
The Obama administration has resolved the remaining barriers to a free-trade agreement with Colombia and expects to announce a deal by the end of the week, according to people briefed on the process.
Mexico is close to ratifying an expanded free-trade deal with Colombia after three Senate committees gave the green light for the agreement, while progress is also being made in negotiations on a separate free-trade accord with Peru, Economy Secretary Bruno Ferrari said.
