[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                KOREA-UNITED STATES FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

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                       HON. LYNN A. WESTMORELAND

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 17, 2009

  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, when President Obama meets tomorrow 
with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, I encourage him to express 
his strong support for the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
  Deepening the important economic ties between our countries benefits 
both sides. Already, Georgia does billions of dollars in trade with 
Korea each year. For Georgians in the 3rd Congressional District, this 
relationship with Korea has yielded tangible benefits: thousands of 
good-paying jobs.
  Korean automaker Kia has opened up a production facility in West 
Point, GA, and eventually will employ nearly 2,500 people in a region 
devastated by textile mill closings over the past 30 years. New jobs 
are always welcome, but they're a lifesaver for many Georgia families 
as our State suffers with an unemployment rate above 10 percent.
  The plant will have a $6.5 billion economic impact on the local 
economy, creating up to 20,000 new jobs as a result. Direct Korean 
investment is bolstering our economy and paying the bills for thousands 
of families in west Georgia.
  Lowering trade barriers between South Korea and the United States 
will produce more positive outcomes like the Kia plant for communities 
throughout this nation. Not only will American consumers benefit from 
cheaper, duty-free products from Korea, but also American businesses 
will sell more of our products in the Korean market.
  In 2007, Georgia businesses exported $397 million worth of goods to 
Korea. Removing tariffs on U.S. goods, particularly those competing 
against protected Korean industries, could significantly increase that 
number. Agriculture remains my State's No. 1 industry and KORUS FTA 
would eliminate tariffs and barriers to Georgia farm products such as 
peanuts, poultry and cotton.
  Madam Speaker, for my constituents in Georgia's 3rd Congressional 
District, the KORUS FTA isn't some academic lecture with line graphs. 
For Georgians, the benefits are tangible and observable. For the people 
in West Point, GA, Korean economic investment means jobs. Good jobs. 
Lots of jobs.
  The Congress has dragged its feet on passing this trade deal even 
though we've seen previous agreements work. In the first four years of 
the U.S.-Singapore FTA, Georgia's exports to Singapore have grown 212 
percent. Since NAFTA went into effect in 1994, Georgia's combined 
exports to Canada and Mexico have increased by 194 percent and since 
entry into force of the U.S.-Chile Agreement in 2004, the State's 
exports to Chile have grown 93 percent.
  I encourage President Obama to keep these numbers--these numbers that 
represent real jobs for real Americans--in mind when he shakes hands 
with President Lee tomorrow.

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