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107th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 107-15
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
JORDAN ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FREE TRADE AREA
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TRANSMITTING
A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN ON THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A FREE TRADE AREA
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January 20, 2001.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committees on Ways and Means and the Judiciary, and ordered to be
printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
79-011 WASHINGTON : 2001
To the Congress of the United States:
I am pleased to transmit a legislative proposal to
implement the Agreement between the United States of America
and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the Establishment of a
Free Trade Area. Also transmitted is a section-by-section
analysis.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) provides
critical support for a pivotal regional partner for U.S.
efforts in the Middle East peace process. Jordan has taken
extraordinary steps on behalf of peace and has served as a
moderating and progressive force in the region. This agreement
not only sends a strong and concrete message to Jordanians and
Jordan's neighbors about the economic benefits of peace, but
significantly contributes to stability throughout the region.
This Agreement is the capstone of our economic partnership with
Jordan, which has also included U.S.-Jordanian cooperation on
Jordan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), our
joint Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and our
Bilateral Investment Treaty. This Agreement is a vote of
confidence in Jordan's economic reform program, which should
serve as a source of growth and opportunity for Jordanians in
the coming years.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement achieves the highest
possible commitments from Jordan on behalf of U.S. business on
key trade issues, providing significant and extensive
liberalization across a wide spectrum of trade issues. for
example, it will eliminate all tariffs on industrial goods and
agricultural products within 10 years. The FTA covers all
agriculture without exception. The Agreement will also
eliminate commercial barriers to bilateral trade in services
originating in the United States and Jordan. Specific
liberalization has been achieved in many key services sectors,
including energy distribution, convention, printing and
publishing, courier, audiovisual, education, environmental,
financial, health, tourism, and transport services.
In the area of intellectual property rights, the U.S.-
Jordan Free Trade Agreement builds on the strong commitments
Jordan made in acceding to the WTO. The provisions of the FTA
incorporate the most up-to-date international standards for
copyright protection, as well as protection for confidential
test data for pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals and
stepped-up commitments on enforcement. Among other things,
Jordan has undertaken to ratify and implement the World
Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Copyright Treaty
and WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty within 2 years.
The FTA also includes, for the first time ever in the text
of a trade agreement, a set of substantive provisions on
electronic commerce. Both countries agreed to seek to avoid
imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions, imposing
unnecessary barriers to market access for digitized products,
and impeding the ability to deliver services through electronic
means. These provisions also tie in with commitments in the
services area that, taken together, aim at encouraging
investment in new technologies and stimulating the innovative
uses of networks to deliver products and services.
The FTA joins free trade and open markets with civic
responsibilities. In this Agreement, the United States and
Jordan affirm the importance of not relaxing labor or
environmental laws in order to increase trade. It is important
to note that the FTA does not require either country to adopt
any new laws in these areas, but rather includes commitments
that each country enforce its own labor and environmental laws.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement will help advance the
long-term U.S. objective of fostering greater Middle
Eastregional economic integration in support of the establishment of a
just, comprehensive, and lasting peace, while providing greater market
access for U.S. goods, services, and investment. I urge the prompt and
favorable consideration of this legislation.
William J. Clinton.
The White House, January 6, 2001.
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