US-Korea FTA

“Perspectives on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement”

Remarks by Karan K. Bhatia

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative
to the Global Business Dialogue/Korea Economic Institute
July 26, 2007

Thank you Judge [Morris]. And let me thank the Global Business Dialogue and Korea Economic Institute for inviting me to join you all at today’s program on what I believe is one of the most important trade initiatives before the country today – the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).

I plan to keep my remarks brief this morning. You’ve got a great panel of speakers this morning, and I’ve spoken a fair amount recently about KORUS. I really want to make just one point, and that is: I believe that the debate over the KORUS FTA is changing.

For several months, discussion of the KORUS FTA … at least in the media … has been defined by two issues – beef and autos. That is no longer the case. Increasingly, the discussion about KORUS is coming to reflect breadth and depth of the agreement itself. Indeed, just looking at the panel of speakers today – representing the express delivery, banking, pork producer, and recording industries – is evidence of the scope of interest in this agreement. view full text with PDF