Movement on the U.S.-Korea FTA?

It looks like things may be moving – slowly — on the trade front.  The U. S. Trade Representative has published a notice in the Federal Register asking for comments on the pending U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is assessing how and to what extent the free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and the Republic of Korea (Korea) signed on June 30, 2007 makes progress in achieving the applicable purposes, policies, priorities, and objectives of the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 (”TPA Act”) (19 U.S.C. 3801 note) as set out in section 2102 of the TPA Act and carries out the provisions of the May 10, 2007 Congressional-Executive Agreement on Trade Policy.

Comments are due September 15, 2009. And, of course, comments have to be compiled and evaluated.  Then, the implementing legislation for Congress to consider has to be submitted.  All this, of course, is happening in an environment of increased skepticism about trade, plus an overloaded Congressional agenda, with massive health care and energy bills, not to mention the restructuring of the financial system.

Here’s some information published by CEI on the U.S. Korea trade agreement.