Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Representing the Bronx, Westchester, and Rockland Counties
Offices in the Bronx, Mount Vernon and West Nyack
2161 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515
Contact: Eric Jacobstein or Jason Steinbaum, 202-226-9980
For Release: Friday, September 26, 2008

ENGEL REJECTS CALL TO RECONSIDER ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCES FOR ECUADOR

Washington, D.C. – In light of the Bush Administration’s decision to suspend the Andean trade preferences for Bolivia, Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) – Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere – today rejected a call by the Business Roundtable, the Emergency Committee for American Trade, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Foreign Trade Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for Congress and the Administration to “reconsider how the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) should apply, if at all” to Ecuador.

Below is a statement from Rep. Engel responding to yesterday’s letter from the groups:

“While the question of extending the Andean trade preferences (ATPDEA) for Bolivia is complex, I reject the call to reconsider these preferences for Ecuador. ATPDEA has been enormously successful in Ecuador, having created hundreds of thousands of jobs, while also curbing drug production. Thanks to ATPDEA, Ecuador is the only country in the Andean region with zero coca cultivation. Furthermore, every job created in Ecuador is another potential illegal immigrant remaining in their home country. Last, but certainly not least, Ecuador is a friend of the United States. When our US Ambassadors in Venezuela and Bolivia were unjustly expelled two weeks ago, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa quickly said that he would not take a similar action. In the politically and economically fragile Andean region, Ecuador is an important nation with whom we must continue to work closely. Reconsidering ATPDEA for Ecuador would be a major strategic blunder.”