| It's Unanimous! |
All Eight Living U.S. Secretaries of State Support the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement
''We are writing to urge your support for swift approval of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.
''Twenty years ago, Peru was mired in conflict and bloodshed. Today, the country is at peace, and its elected leaders are embracing reform, fighting corruption, and strengthening the rule of law. A stable, democratic, and growing Peru not only helps its citizens, it is clearly in the national interest of the United States.
''Peru's economic transformation has been a critical factor in its new democratic maturity. Over the past five years, the country's per capita income has risen by almost 50%, one of the most impressive records in the Americas. Fueling this growth has been a dramatic boom in trade, which has proven to be a highly effective alternative development program. U.S.-Peru trade has doubled over the past three years, spurred by Congressional approval in 2002 of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act.
''The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement represents a unique opportunity for the United States to lock in this impressive transformation. With 28 million consumers, Peru is one of the fastest growing markets for U.S. exports. Building upon the bipartisan trade deal reached in Washington in May, the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement will help Peruvians strengthen labor standards and environmental protections.
''Peru is a strategic partner in America's efforts to foster growth in South America, eradicate narcotics trafficking, and combat terrorism. It is in the best interest of the United States to have politically strong, economically healthy, and socially free partners to help achieve these goals. The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement will significantly enhance the prosperity and stability of the region, and in so doing will make a more secure United States of America.
''We the undersigned therefore urge you to give your full support to the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.''
Sincerely,
Colin L. Powell
U.S. Secretary of State 2001-2005
Madeline Albright
U.S. Secretary of State 1997-2001
Warren Christopher
U.S. Secretary of State 1993-1997
Lawrence Eagleburger
U.S. Secretary of State 1992-1993
James A. Baker III
U.S. Secretary of State 1989-1992
George P. Shultz
U.S. Secretary of State 1982-1989
Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
U.S. Secretary of State 1981-1982
Henry A. Kissinger
U.S. Secretary of State 1973-1977
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|  | |  | | Did you know?
| | | The total increase in United States farm exports associated with the PTPA could exceed $705 million per year, including items such as fruits, vegetables, tallow, and other high-value processed products.
-American Farm Bureau Federation
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| | | | Overheard
| | | ''The Peru FTA signals a dramatic step in a new trade policy - one that takes on the essential need to expand the sharing of the benefits of expanded trade and addressing its downsides - by including for the first time enforceable worker rights and environmental standards.''
-Trade Subcommittee Chairman Sander Levin (D-MI)
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