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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
December 4, 2007
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
I commend the Senate for approving the free
trade agreement with Peru with strong bipartisan support.
This agreement will level the playing field for American
exporters and investors and will expand an important market
in this hemisphere for U.S. goods and services, which will
help strengthen economic growth and job creation in the
United States. Approval of this agreement also signals our
firm support for those who share our values of freedom and
democracy and expanding opportunity for all.
Today’s action by the Senate also
marks the approval of the first free trade agreement that
fulfills the May 10 bipartisan trade agreement with Congress
by incorporating enforceable labor and environmental standards.
I look forward to signing this legislation into law and
urge Congress to promptly consider and approve our other
pending free trade agreements, starting with Colombia, which
would be important to the stability of the region, and including
Panama and South Korea.
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