[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 108 (Monday, July 21, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H7171-H7172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          CHILEAN HONEST TRADE

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to move past the free 
versus fair trade debate that has dominated the considerations in this 
Chamber for most of the last five Congresses, where each side uses code 
words to ignore the inconvenient arguments of each other, or perhaps to 
not address them at all. It is time to deal with honest trade policy.
   We can start later this week with action on the Chile free trade 
agreement, a spirited open debate which should lead to a strong 
bipartisan vote for approval. I would urge my colleagues not to 
reflexively reject agreement because of either concerns about the 
previous trade promotion authority debate which, frankly, I had 
reservations about myself; or somehow get bogged down in debating what 
is not before us.
   The best way to help future debates is if we all deal meaningfully 
with what is before us in the context of this agreement. And the Chile 
free trade agreement offers much for the United States, make no mistake 
about it. We gain far more than we give up in terms of tariff 
protections.
   Right now the average United States export to Chile is taxed at 
approximately 5.6 percent versus an average tariff for the imports to 
the United States from Chile at approximately 0.5 percent. Indeed, two-
thirds of the Chilean imports to the United States are duty free. We 
gain far more than we give up.
   We are also currently at a severe disadvantage relative to other 
major trading partners with Chile. The large economies of the Western 
Hemisphere, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, already have 
preferential access to the Chilean market, as does the European Union. 
As a result, we are losing access as it relates to the percentage from 
our other competitors in those areas.
   I urge my colleagues to look at their own region as I have done, for 
instance, in my home State of Oregon. I have seen if we were able to 
enact this agreement, there would be more opportunities for export.
   For instance, Freight Liner is headquartered in my community. It is 
one of the most efficient truck manufacturing operations in the entire 
world, but we have lost access because of the aforementioned 
disadvantage that we face from trucks exported from Mexico, Brazil or 
the European Union. Enactment of this agreement will make it possible 
for us to be more competitive in my community.
   There is also opportunity to remedy trade policy as they occur. 
Recently there was a controversy with Chile regarding a potential 
dumping of frozen raspberries on our market, to the detriment of people 
in my State. We were able to use the protections under the trade 
agreements that we have to put a stop to it. This is an opportunity for 
us to deal meaningfully with labor and environmental protections. The 
ones in Chile are the strongest in Latin America, and it is important 
that we act accordingly to support them. Indeed, we must act to deal 
with the broader values that are shared with Chile.
   Mr. Speaker, what kind of government behavior do we want to 
encourage with our trade agreements? Chile represents an island of 
stability in

[[Page H7172]]

troubled Latin American waters. It deserves our support as a model for 
other countries.
   As the world grows more prosperous and stable, America will be 
better off in terms of the enormous security burden that we have 
voluntarily undertaken in Iraq, Afghanistan, in about 100 other 
countries around the world in numerous treaties and alliances. Whether 
we are more economically secure depends on whether we exercise our 
leadership in honest trade policy at home and abroad.
   Honest debate and ratification of the Chilean free trade agreement 
can be an important step in this new era.

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