August 23, 2011

US Wheat Associates calls for US-Colombia FTA

As the Colombia-Canada Free Trade agreement is on the process of taking into effect, the need for a similar US agreement with Colombia also becomes necessary, said US Wheat Associates on August 19.

Most Canadian industries now enjoy duty-free access to the growing Colombian market. In contrast, Colombian importers must still pay tariffs on most US goods. For wheat, that tariff overcomes the natural advantage US exporters otherwise have in providing quality wheat on a timely basis to Colombian customers.

The stakes are particularly high for US farmers as roughly 50% of US wheat and 25% of all US agricultural production is exported, US Wheat Associates said. In 2010-11, the US exported more than 35 million tonnes of wheat-roughly 60% of last year's production- to about 70 countries.

The US wheat industry has worked hard to build a reputation as a reliable supplier. While American farms are largely family-run operations, they are businesses that understand the importance of trade to their customers, US Wheat Associates said.

The US wheat industry has a long history of promoting fair and open trade and looks forward to implementing pending and future trade agreements such as the nine-country TransPacific Partnership agreement to maintain its competitiveness in world markets.

US wheat farmers will not give up on trade and once more call for the immediate ratification and implementation of the US-Colombia FTA so US producers and Colombian customers can benefit from bilateral trade conducted on a level playing field, US Wheat Associates said.