Safety net:

Concern about the plight of American workers should not lead congressional Democrats to reject the trade agreement with Colombia. This deal would benefit the US economy and further the nation’s broader interests in Latin America. The trade pact would produce clear benefits for American businesses. Most Colombian exports are exempt from US tariffs. American exports, however, face high Colombian tariffs and would benefit as the so-called trade promotion agreement brought them down to zero.

The deal also would strengthen the institutional bonds tying the US to Colombia, one of America’s few allies in an important region that has become increasingly hostile to American interests.The deal would provide a tool for Colombia’s development, drawing investment and helping the nation extricate itself from the mire of poverty that provides sustenance to drug trafficking and a bloody insurgency.

Unfortunately, the agreement has become entangled in political jockeying between the White House and Democrats. The Democrats are right to demand assistance for American workers, and the Bush administration should work with Congress to expand the safety net for displaced workers. But this should not stop the Colombian trade pact from coming to fruition. — International Herald Tribune