Apple among companies pushing for free trade agreements
"Free trade has built up this industry," said Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, which has more than 2,100 members, including Apple, Sony, Intel, HP and Microsoft. "We think it's absolutely critical that the U.S. maintain this strategy of free trade and continue the momentum that free trade agreements allow."
Although Congress is expected to soon approve a free trade pact with Peru, many Democrats are strongly opposed to similar deals with Colombia and South Korea, notes Reuters. They criticize Colombia's record on human rights and say the auto provisions of the Korean pact would too heavily favor Seoul.
In addition, concerns have arisen in recent weeks about a deal with Panama after legislator Pedro Miguel Gonzalez, who is wanted in the United States on charges that he killed a U.S. soldier, was elected head of Panama's National Assembly, Reuters adds. The CEA has decided to step up efforts to win approval of the four pacts because there is a growing perception "that free trade is not good for America," Shapiro said.
The consumer electronics industry employs around 2 million Americans "and we believe that hundreds of thousands of those jobs are based on free trade," Shapiro said.
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