WASHINGTON, D.C. - Business Roundtable today issued the following statement on the potential delay of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement vote.

John Castellani, president of Business Roundtable: We are extremely disappointed that the House of Representatives is going to consider taking away the benefits of trade promotion authority for the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and strongly urge the House to reject the change

“The U.S.-Colombia FTA is an especially important agreement. It promotes essential U.S. economic, foreign policy and national security objectives as well as economic development and political stability in one of our closest and most important allies in Latin America.

The American people expect their elected representatives and leaders to do what is in the national interest. Trade agreements, like the one with Colombia, are crucial to our countrycompetitiveness. The FTA with Colombia will level the playing field for U.S. workers and companies.Currently, the U.S. allows Colombia to sell its products in the United States without charging any import duties.The FTA would require Colombia to give American products the same fair treatment. With record exports helping to sustain the U.S. economy, there never been a more important time for Congress to pass a trade agreement that helps American workers and companies export even more products.

Instead of moving forward with this change in the rules, we strongly urge Congress and the Administration to instead intensify their efforts to resolve all outstanding issues as soon as possible so that a vote on the U.S.-Colombia FTA can be scheduled for this year.