As expected, the US approved the implementation date for the recently-passed Colombia Free Trade Agreement, despite continued violence against trade unionists in the country. The announcement timed with President Obama’s appearance at the Summit of the Americas. “Colombia has passed those laws and regulations necessary in order for the free-trade agreement to enter into force,” [...]

Remember during the debate over the Colombian trade deal when the Administration swore up and down that they would, as a condition of putting the free trade agreement forward, insist on an “action plan” that would end the murder of trade unionists in Colombia and bring about justice for those already killed? Yeah, so, we’re [...]

As Public Citizen’s Lori Wallach explained yesterday, the three trade agreements passed Congress in a whirlwind of activity last night, because a present for the President of South Korea’s visit to Washington today is more important than a considered debate about the role of neoliberal trade agreements and what they have traditionally done to US [...]

You’re watching Colombia Trade Agreement. See the Web’s top videos on AOL Video We have known for years about the dangers of being a trade unionist in Colombia, of the murders of organizers and labor officials. The murders have increased in frequency in the years since the US negotiated a trade deal with Colombia. They [...]

Speaking of Congress, they may be getting themselves in a position to actually pass those three long-stalled trade agreements. Yesterday the Senate passed a bill “to extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes.” This is actually a bill that came over from the House, and the Senate version includes Trade Adjustment Assistance, [...]

Another Colombian labor leader has been gunned down, a chilling reminder of the realities of organized labor in that country.  The killing comes just weeks before the US Congress will vote on a trade agreement with Colombia. An official of a union representing university employees in the northwestern Colombian province of Cordoba was murdered, the [...]

The White House has just released a set of facts sheets on a trade package that would include the three free trade deals negotiated by the Bush Administration, with Colombia, South Korea and Panama, along with a renewal of trade adjustment assistance for displaced workers. Press Secretary Jay Carney released this statement: President Obama has [...]

Politico reports that Congressional leaders and the President have reached a deal that would allow a number of free trade agreements to move forward, along with a renewal of trade adjustment assistance for workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing or overseas trade. That deal could lead to a breakthrough on long-stalled U.S. trade [...]

The White House will move forward on a trade agenda that could ramp up quickly. The South Korea, Panama and Colombia free trade deals could all come up for a vote later this year. The administration is expected to send congressional leaders a letter as soon as Wednesday saying it is ready to begin preliminary [...]

Labor unions are not happy with the “action plan” that is seen as a precursor to a free trade agreement with Colombia. Scores of labor organizers have been attacked and even killed in Colombia over the past several years. And the AFL-CIO and other unions simply find the deal insufficient. “The action plan does not [...]

President Obama’s trade representative announced today an agreement with Colombia that will allow them to move forward on a free trade agreement. House Republicans had been demanding free trade pacts with Colombia and Panama as a condition for passing an already-negotiated FTA with South Korea. The Colombia deal was always going to be tricky, because [...]