[asia-apec 1681] FTA Talks Between Singapore and The United States

[Aaron James]

FTA Talks Between Singapore and The United States
WorldNews.com, Sat 2 Dec 2000

correspondent Christos Gabrielides.
Although the presidential election in the United States has not yet 
delivered a president, it is understood that planned discussions over a 
free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and the US will proceed next 
week in Washington.
Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and US President Bill Clinton agreed 
at last month's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Brunei 
to negotiate an FTA, which it was hoped would be finalised by the end of 
this year. However, the political paralysis currently afflicting America 
makes it unlikely that the suggested deadline will be met. Commenting on 
the proposed FTA, the first between an Asian country and the US, US 
Congressman Tom Lantos said Singapore will have to be 'patient before this 
idea comes before the appropriate committees of Congress, let alone action 
by the body itself'.
Meanwhile, interested parties within the US, including the National 
Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Business Roundtable, suggested 
that the significance of the agreement was such that time constraints 
should be laid aside. They stated: "We urge the administration to focus on 
the content of this important agreement rather than be distracted by an 
artificial time restraint of one month."
Singapore has already signed a Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand, and 
there has been some criticism that such agreements could weaken the 
Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean). However, Prime Minister 
Goh Chok Tong recently dismissed such suggestions. FTAs are also planned 
with Japan and Australia, as well as the US, and earlier this week Mr Goh 
observed: "Very importantly, these countries are signalling their interest 
in Asean. Asean at the moment is not quite ready to do an FTA with other
countries but Singapore is. So I told the leaders in other countries that 
Asean requires some attention."
Mr Goh also pointed out that Singapore's FTAs are in accordance with the 
World Trade Organization (WTO). He explained: "The FTA for Singapore will 
be WTO-consistent..(and)...will be open to anybody who wants to sign on the 
terms which we have negotiated with the others. It is not a closed FTA. It 
is meant to be an arrangement which supports negotiations for freer trade 
in the fast track so that the others can just follow later on."
The proposed FTA with the US has received strong backing, not least from 
the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, whose chairman, Ed Gilbert, 
commented: "We hope that agreement can be reached in a short period of time."

Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and US President Bill Clinton agreed 
at last month's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Brunei 
to negotiate an FTA, which it was hoped would be finalised by the end of 
this year. However, the political paralysis currently afflicting America 
makes it unlikely that the suggested deadline will be met. Commenting on 
the proposed FTA, the first between an Asian country and the US, US 
Congressman Tom Lantos said Singapore will have to be 'patient before this 
idea comes before the appropriate committees of Congress, let alone action 
by the body itself'.(AFP Photo)
(Photo: AFP)