By Robert Pore
robert.pore@theindependent.com

The House refused to hold a vote on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement this week and stripped the bill of its three-month deadline.

Nebraska Farm Bureau had urged the state's members of Congress to oppose removing the requirement from pending legislation that the Colombia Trade Promotion Authority agreement be voted on within 90 working days.

"That to me was an ample amount of time," Smith said. "That's three months. We know that Colombia has made many, many positive changes."

Rob Robertson, Nebraska Farm Bureau vice president/governmental relations, said the 90-day timetable provides a date certain for Congress to vote the agreement "up or down" without amendments.

Robertson said Nebraska Farm Bureau supports the Colombia trade agreement and opposes any attempt to change the timing rules.

The agreement , Robertson said, would expand export opportunities for Nebraska producers. He said an American Farm Bureau Federation economic analysis estimates that the Colombia TPA will increase U.S. agricultural exports $900 million per year after full implementation.

"U.S. agriculture faces an average tariff of 30 percent entering Colombia," Robertson said. "Fifty-two percent of current U.S. agricultural exports will receive immediate duty-free access upon implementation, and all other product tariffs are phased out over a longer period."

Robertson said that already, 99 percent of Colombia agricultural products enter the U.S. duty-free through trade preferences adopted by Congress.

In February, he said Congress extended Colombia's preferential access to the United States for 10 months with a strong bipartisan vote in the House and Senate.

"If Congress can support opening our market to Colombia, they should be willing to support opening the Colombian market to U.S. products," Robertson said.

Smith said the Colombia FTA will be good for Nebraska agriculture.

"We talk about leveling the playing field on trade and looking for more fair trade. This agreement will do exactly that," he said. "That's why I hope we can get it passed."

Smith free trade agreements with countries, such as Colombia, helps strengthen the democratic process in those countries.

"These days it is more than just a trade issue," he said. "It's becoming a geopolitical issue. Colombia is our friend and we ought not treat our friends in the world poorly, because if we don't pass this, this could be a victory for Venezuela that seeks to do us harm."