Trade subcommittee chair outlines Latin FTA concerns

Trade subcommittee chair outlines Latin FTA concerns Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, said at hearings on U.S. trade policy Wednesday that he wants labor standards included in pending free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and Peru.
   'As to the Latin America FTAs, our position has been clear and consistent: The text of the agreement must include the five core International Labor Organization standards, with a reasonable transition period, and enforceable like other provisions of the agreement,' he told U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
   The Bush administration has completed the basics of trade agreements with the Latin American countries, but final agreements require congressional approval.