[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[House]
[Pages 29439-29440]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




WELCOMING TRADE MINISTERS TO MEETING OF FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS

  (Mr. SHAW asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHAW. Madam Speaker, as chairman of the Florida congressional 
delegation, I welcome trade ministers from

[[Page 29440]]

34 democratic countries to Miami, Florida, for the latest ministerial 
meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas currently under way. 
Scheduled for completion in 2005, the FTAA would represent the largest 
free trade area in the world, encompassing these 34 nations with a 
combined population of 800 million people. The FTAA will be a linchpin 
to economic growth, spurring trade and investment to the benefit of 
United States businesses, labor and consumers alike.
  In addition, I urge the selection of Miami as the permanent home of 
the FTAA secretariat. The Florida delegation remains committed to 
ensuring an FTAA secretariat in Miami because of the city's rich 
cultural and business ties to Latin America. In fact, this House in 
April of 2000 voted unanimously in support of Miami's designation. With 
three international airports and three seaports, Miami is truly the 
gateway to the Americas. In fact, Enterprise Florida has estimated the 
creation of 90,000 new jobs and an increase of $13.6 billion annually 
to Florida's gross State product.
  Again, I welcome the international community to south Florida, and 
remain mindful that trade alone is only part of the FTAA equation. The 
principles underlying a commitment to free trade are the same 
principles that foster free societies.
  International trade is more than just the exchange of goods and 
services. It is the economic fabric that ties together like-minded 
Democratic governments and societies.

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