[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18958]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  THE U.S.-CHILE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

  (Mrs. BIGGERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, over the last 6 years, the United States 
has lost nearly one-third of its share of Chile's import market.
  Not coincidentally, the plunge occurred while other nations were 
implementing their own free trade agreements with Chile and getting 
market share there. Since the early 1990s, Chile signed free trade 
agreements with Canada, Mexico and the four nations of MERCOSUR. And 
earlier this year, implementation of the European Union-Chile's FTA led 
to an immediate surge in exports to Chile from European firms in direct 
competition with U.S. firms.
  The lost Chilean sales not only cost the United States its long-time 
ranking as the top exporting Nation to Chile, it also cost U.S. 
businesses and workers thousands of higher-paying, export-related jobs.
  U.S. businesses have the expertise and the resources to compete 
globally, if they are allowed to do so on equal terms with our 
competitors.
  It is time to pass the U.S.-Chile free trade agreement and give our 
companies the opportunity they need to stay competitive in Chile.

                          ____________________