US Says no Deadline yet for Panama, Colombia Deals

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama wants to win congressional approval of free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia, but has no deadline for solving problems with the pacts, the top U.S. trade deficit, officials said on Tuesday.
"These free trade agreements are almost completely in favor of U.S. exporters and represented together a few billion dollars of opportunities," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told reporters after a meeting of Obama's cabinet Export Promotion.
"We do everything we can do to make them when it makes sense to do this," says Kirk.
But there is no specific timetable for resolving labor and other problems with the agreements and sending them to Congress for a vote, Kirk said.
"Hopefully we can get a more definitive timeline on in the near future," said Kirk.
Last month the Group of 20 summit in Toronto, President Barack Obama said he would block approval of an FTA issues with Korea in November to determine when Seoul will host the upcoming G20 summit.
Obama also said he planned to send to Korea agreement to Congress for a vote in early 2011.
Kirk said that last month the meeting in Toronto was a good moment for Obama to a deadline for South Korea to announce agreement because "you had the practical fact that the president is in the G-20 meeting with South Korean President Lee (Myung-bak) and are awaiting a visit in November, his state visit as well as the G-20 to visit. "
"As you know, we have always said that the content of our work with Panama and Colombia would drive," Kirk added.
Obama's decision to try beef and automatic blocking of trade discussions to resolve issues of Korea has split Democrats in congressional elections next November.
While some, like the House of Representatives Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader responded positively to the change, others, such as Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown called it a mistake.
All three agreements were negotiated by former President George W. Bush administration and have been sitting on the desk of Obama since he took office in January 2009.
Democratic opponents have been pushing for Colombia to do more for the killing of trade unionists to reduce those responsible for thousands of killings to continue.
They also want changes in labor and Panama bank secrecy laws and other reforms. AGENCIES