NIS
13-07-04, 10:07
House to Vote on Morocco Trade Deal This Month
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote this month on a newly negotiated free-trade agreement between the United States and Morocco, a key committee chairman said on Wednesday.
Timing of a Senate vote is unknown, but the deal is expected to enjoy broad Congressional support.
"It's my goal to move the agreement to the floor (of the House of Representatives) before the Democratic convention," said Republican Rep. Bill Thomas of California, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The proposed free-trade agreement would eliminate many Moroccan tariffs on U.S. goods, according to the U.S. Trade Representative's office.
"More than 95 percent of two-way trade in consumer and industrial products will become duty-free immediately," said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier in testimony to the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees U.S. trade policy.
Timing of a Senate vote on the trade deal is still unknown, according to a Senate Finance Committee spokeswoman.
Congress aims to recess around July 23 for the Democratic National Convention and a traditional monthlong August break.
Unlike the serious opposition facing the Bush administration's free-trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, the deal with Morocco is expected to enjoy broad congressional support.
During Wednesday's House committee hearing, lawmakers were generally supportive of the U.S.-Morocco negotiation, although Democrats cited concerns over pharmaceutical provisions that they said could impede the distribution of medicines for AIDS (news - web sites) and other public health threats.
Democrats also used the hearing to try to prod the Bush administration into seeking tougher labor standards in future trade agreements.
The White House hopes a free-trade deal with Morocco will advance U.S. foreign policy goals in Africa and the Middle East while also further opening a foreign market to U.S. agricultural goods, services and manufactured products.
Morocco imports $11.6 billion in products annually, according to USTR.
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040708/capt.whsw10107081538.bush_us_morocco_whsw101.jpg
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote this month on a newly negotiated free-trade agreement between the United States and Morocco, a key committee chairman said on Wednesday.
Timing of a Senate vote is unknown, but the deal is expected to enjoy broad Congressional support.
"It's my goal to move the agreement to the floor (of the House of Representatives) before the Democratic convention," said Republican Rep. Bill Thomas of California, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The proposed free-trade agreement would eliminate many Moroccan tariffs on U.S. goods, according to the U.S. Trade Representative's office.
"More than 95 percent of two-way trade in consumer and industrial products will become duty-free immediately," said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier in testimony to the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees U.S. trade policy.
Timing of a Senate vote on the trade deal is still unknown, according to a Senate Finance Committee spokeswoman.
Congress aims to recess around July 23 for the Democratic National Convention and a traditional monthlong August break.
Unlike the serious opposition facing the Bush administration's free-trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, the deal with Morocco is expected to enjoy broad congressional support.
During Wednesday's House committee hearing, lawmakers were generally supportive of the U.S.-Morocco negotiation, although Democrats cited concerns over pharmaceutical provisions that they said could impede the distribution of medicines for AIDS (news - web sites) and other public health threats.
Democrats also used the hearing to try to prod the Bush administration into seeking tougher labor standards in future trade agreements.
The White House hopes a free-trade deal with Morocco will advance U.S. foreign policy goals in Africa and the Middle East while also further opening a foreign market to U.S. agricultural goods, services and manufactured products.
Morocco imports $11.6 billion in products annually, according to USTR.
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040708/capt.whsw10107081538.bush_us_morocco_whsw101.jpg