6688 COHA Report, Andean Trade Preference Act Expired on February 12th: Washington and La Paz Knew that There Was Much Work to Be Done

Andean Trade Preference Act Expired on February 12th: Washington and La Paz Knew that There Was Much Work to Be Done

News on the expiration of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) was surprisingly absent from the national media in recent weeks. The trade agreement, which was first enacted in December 1991, offered preferential duty treatment to goods and commodities exported from Andean region countries. The purpose of the ATPA was to encourage economic growth in the participating countries and divert dependence on the illegal drug trade which had been prevalent in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The U.S. Congress passed a number of extensions of the agreement for varying periods of time, and in recent years favored short-term renewals. The last extension of the ATPA was a six-week renewal passed on December 22, 2010, which recently expired on February 12, 2011. The House Ways and Means Committee met on February 8 and 14, 2011 to consider a bill extending the ATPA through June of this year, though no new agreement has been assembled.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Adrian Carroll