US trade benefits for Ecuador seen at risk in Assange case

[Bacchus4.0]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/14/ecuador-assange-usa-trade-idUSL2E8JEDOO20120814


* US began annual review of Ecuador trade benefits last week

* Ecuador exported about $1.7 bln of goods to US under program in 2011

* Chevron has pressed for trade benefits to be revoked


WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) -

------------------

Chevron Corp. and many U.S. business groups are already urging the White House to suspend Ecuador's trade benefits under the Andean Trade Preferences Act, which dates back to the early 1990s.

Human rights group, in another sign of eroding support in Washington for Ecuador, also have raised concerns about Correa's clamp down on the media, said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank focused on U.S. relations with Latin America.

---------------

Ecuador exported about $1.7 billion worth of goods to the United States under the program in 2011, mainly $1.6 billion of petroleum products. That was down sharply from $4.2 billion in 2010, partly reflecting an eight-month expiration of the program while the U.S. Congress and the Obama administration bickered over a number of trade concerns.

--------------
The program will expire again next July unless Congress votes to renew it. In addition, the Obama administration could suspend Ecuador's benefits sooner if it decides Quito is not meeting the program's eligibility requirements.



----------------
Ecuador is the sole remaining beneficiary of this preference program as COlombia and Peru have signed a new with the US. Bolivia was dumped. Chile has an agreement as do CAFTA nations and Mexico.

I can't imagine Ecuador's preference program being renewed. Another recent post article concludes that free trade isn't popular with the US. That doesn't appear to be accurate. For some countries it is quite popular, for others it is not.