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




        SUPPORT FREE TRADE PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILE AND SINGAPORE

  (Mr. CRANE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of a free trade 
partnership with both Chile and Singapore. We should all support the 
model that Chile provides for economic, social, and democratic 
development. Chile more than doubled its GDP during the 1990s. It was 
the fourth fastest growing economy in the world. This extraordinary 
growth was fostered by low inflation, a balanced budget, clear 
regulatory accountability, a strong financial system, and a competitive 
economy. It ranks high, higher than many developed countries on 
international indices measuring economic success.
  Mr. Speaker, the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement is a 
comprehensive, leading-edge agreement that includes U.S. trade 
negotiating objectives and strengthens an important economic 
relationship with a strategic U.S. trading partner. The U.S.-Singapore 
Free Trade Agreement sets many precedents, including lower barriers to 
trade and high-technology products and services and establishing new 
standards for intellectual property protection.
  I urge my colleagues to support both of these critically portrayed 
agreements that we have negotiated that will set a positive example in 
both regions of the world.

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