El programa comercial andino

Colombia y el programa comercial andino

English version

• El Programa comercial andino (parte de la Ley de Preferencias Arancelarias Andina y de Erradicación de Narcóticos) se renueva y construye sobre la anterior Ley de preferencias arancelarias andina (ATPA), la cual venció recientemente, para ofrecer mayor apertura a los mercados estadounidenses para los productos de Colombia.

• El Programa comercial andino es una parte esencial de la estrategia para promover un amplio desarrollo económico, diversificar las exportaciones, acabar con el flagelo de las drogas, y consolidar la democracia en Colombia.

• Colombia ha sido uno de los principales beneficiarios del ATPA. El principal socio comercial de Colombia es Estados Unidos, con más del 45% de las exportaciones colombianas beneficiadas al ingresar a EE.UU. libre de aranceles bajo la lista arancelaria de nación más favorecida, mientras que en los últimos años otro 13% al 14% ha recibido el mismo tratamiento bajo el ATPA.

• Las exportaciones colombianas hacia los mercados estadounidenses bajo el ATPA aumentaron en valor y como porcentaje del total de las exportaciones de Colombia, cada año desde 1993. Las flores todavía son el producto más importante bajo el ATPA. Otras exportaciones que se beneficiaron con el ATPA incluyen los colorantes, los compuestos de oro, las láminas no-adhesivas, los artículos de cuero y el azúcar de caña.

• Según los cálculos del gobierno de Colombia, entre 1992 y 1999 el ATPA generó más de 140.000 nuevos empleos. Durante ese mismo período el ATPA también tuvo un impacto positivo sobre la inversión, como lo demuestra la mayor diversificación de la producción colombiana orientada a la exportación.

• El Programa comercial andino permitirá, por medio de cuotas, la importación a EE.UU. libre de aranceles de las confecciones con telas regionales u otro tipo de tela teñida y terminada en Estados Unidos. De esta manera, el Programa comercial andino nivela los criterios de elegibilidad para las confecciones entre los beneficiarios del ATPA y los países de África y el Caribe que reciben beneficios comerciales similares.

• Bajo el Programa comercial andino, el Presidente Bush puede otorgar un trato libre de aranceles para el calzado colombiano que no se considere que afecte la producción estadounidense.

• Bajo el Programa comercial andino, el atún empacado al vacío en Colombia tendrá acceso libre de aranceles y de cuotas al mercado estadounidense.

Washington, D.C.
2 de agosto de 2002

The Andean Trade Program

Colombia and the Andean Trade Program

Versión en español

• The Andean Trade Program (ATP, part of the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act or ATPDEA) retroactively renews and builds upon the recently-expired Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA) to further open U.S. markets to Colombian products.

• ATP is a critical element of a strategy to promote broad-based economic development, diversify exports, defeat the scourge of drug trafficking, and consolidate democracy in Colombia.

• Colombia has been a major beneficiary of ATPA. The United States is Colombia's largest trade partner, with over 45% of Colombia's exports enter the U.S. duty free under the U.S. MFN tariff schedule, while another 13-14% have received duty free treatment under ATPA in recent years.

• Colombian exports to the U.S. market under ATPA increased in value and as percentage of total Colombian exports every year since 1993. Cut flowers remain the most important ATPA product. Other major exports benefiting from ATPA include pigments, gold compounds, nonadhesive plates, leather articles, and cane sugar.

• According to Colombian government estimates, between 1992-1999 the ATPA program generated more than 140,000 new jobs. In the same period the ATPA program has also had a positive impact on investment, as evidenced by increasing diversification of Colombia's export-oriented production.

• ATP will allow quota-limited duty-free imports of clothing made in Colombia from regional fabric or other fabric dyed and finished in the U.S. In doing so, ATP harmonizes apparel eligibility between the ATPA beneficiaries and similar trade benefits for African and Caribbean nations (AGOA and CBTPA).
• Under ATP, the President may proclaim duty-free treatment for Colombian footwear not determined to be import sensitive.

• Tuna packed in pouches in Colombia will enjoy duty-free, quota-free access to the U.S. market under ATP.

Bolivia and the Andean Trade Program

• The Andean Trade Program (ATP, part of the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act or ATPDEA) retroactively renews and builds upon the recently-expired Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA) to further open U.S. markets to Bolivian products.

• ATP is a critical element of a strategy to promote broad-based economic development, diversify exports, defeat the scourge of drug trafficking, and consolidate democracy in Bolivia.

• About 30% of Bolivia's exports to the U.S. were covered under ATPA, producing an appreciable impact on the Bolivian economy and steady growth in investment in ATPA-covered industries.

• The bulk of Bolivia's exports to the U.S. under ATPA have been jewelry and parts. Other products exported under ATPA included wood doors, boron oxides and leather accessories.

• ATP offers a major opportunity for Bolivian textile manufacturers. ATP will allow quota-limited duty-free imports of clothing made in Bolivia from regional fabric or other fabric dyed and finished in the U.S. Investments to take advantage of ATP benefits could create up to 40,000 jobs in the Bolivian textile industry.

• Under ATP, the President may proclaim duty-free treatment for Bolivian footwear not determined to be import sensitive.

• A campaign to educate the private sector on the benefits of ATP should help Bolivian produces to take fuller advantage of the program.

Ecuador and the Andean Trade Program

• The Andean Trade Program (ATP, part of the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act or ATPDEA) retroactively renews and builds upon the recently-expired Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA) to further open U.S. markets to Ecuadorian products.

• ATP is a critical element of a strategy to promote broad-based economic development, diversify exports, defeat the scourge of drug trafficking, and consolidate democracy in Ecuador.

• Ecuador accounted for 14.9% of U.S. imports under ATPA. The U.S. is Ecuador's major trading partner. About 12-13% of Ecuador's exports to the U.S. in recent years have benefited from ATPA.

• Since ATPA's inception, Ecaudor's flower exports to the Unites have increased more than six-fold. In 2000, cut flowers accounted for over $90 million or over 5% of total Ecuadorian exports to the U.S.

• Other major exports under ATPA have included processed fresh tuna, plywood and other wood products, jewelry, and non-traditional vegetables and fruits, including mangoes.

• Tuna packed in pouches in Ecuador will enjoy duty-free access to a fast-growing U.S. market under ATP. This represents a major investment opportunity for the Ecuadorian tuna packing industry.

• Unlike any of the proposed benefits for canned tuna, there is no quantitative restriction to Ecuadorian exports of pouched tuna. Ecuador may well come to dominate this market in the coming years.

• As pouch processing of tuna is more labor intensive than canning, the ATP should result in significant job growth.

• ATP will allow quota-limited duty-free imports of clothing made in Ecuador from regional fabric or other fabric dyed and finished in the U.S.

• Under ATP, the President may proclaim duty-free treatment for Ecuadorian footwear not determined to be import-sensitive.

Peru and the Andean Trade Program

• The Andean Trade Program (ATP, part of the Andean Trade Program and Drug Eradication Act or ATPDEA) retroactively renews and builds upon the recently-expired Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA) to further open U.S. markets to Peruvian products.

• ATP is a critical element of a strategy to promote broad-based economic development, diversify exports, defeat the scourge of drug trafficking, and consolidate democracy in Peru.

• The growing importance of U.S. market for Peruvian exporters is reflected by the fact that the U.S. share of Peru's total exports grew from 16.6 percent in 1994 to over 30 percent in 2000.

• As the leading ATPA exporter, in 2000 Peru accounted for 42.7% of U.S. imports under ATPA. Over 43% of Peru's $1.99 billion in exports to the U.S. entered under the ATPA. U.S. imports from Peru under ATPA increased in 2000 to $846 million, compared to $631 million in 1999.

• ATPA generated significant job opportunities in a variety of sectors in Peru through increased duty-free export of metal products (copper cathodes and zinc plates), jewelry, non-traditional fruits (mangos) and vegetables (fresh asparagus), and cacao and coffee production.

• The area under coffee cultivation doubled since 1997, growing to 19,422 hectares in 2000, while the area under cacao cultivation nearly tripled in the same period to 4,882 in the same period. Meanwhile, Peru's area under coca cultivation dropped by 66% in 2000.

• ATP will allow quota-limited duty-free imports of clothing made in Peru from regional fabric or other fabric dyed and finished in the U.S. Textile preferences could generate up to 120,000 new textile jobs and 300,000 to 400,000 cotton cultivation jobs in Peru by 2006.

• Under ATP, the President may proclaim duty-free treatment for Peruvian footwear not determined to be import-sensitive.

• Tuna packed in pouches in Peru will enjoy duty-free, quota-free access to the U.S. market under ATP.

Washington, D.C.
August 2, 2002