Colombia and Peru get 8-month Duty-Free access to US market

Colombia and Peru will continue benefiting from duty-free access to the US market after the US Congress approved a 8-month extension of the preferential treatment, known as ATPDEA.

The US House of Representatives approved a last-minute extension of the so-called ATPDEA (Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act) offering duty-free access to products from Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, including textiles and apparel under specific rules of origin.

Duty-free treatment was due to expire on 30 June and will finally be extended for an additional 8-month period, until 29 February 2008. Extension was confirmed after the US Senate approved the bill on its turn, less than a week after a deal was reached between Democratic lawmakers and the Bush administration.

The duty-free preferential treatment was granted to apparel exporters from Colombia and Peru a few years ago and should have been replaced on 1 January 2007 by two bilateral free trade agreements which were signed in the last year.