THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
January 6, 2001
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
I am pleased to transmit a legislative proposal to implement the
Agreement between the United States of America and the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area. Also transmitted is a
section-by-section analysis.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) provides critical support
for a pivotal regional partner for U.S. efforts in the Middle East peace
process. Jordan has taken extraordinary steps on behalf of peace and has
served as a moderating and progressive force in the region. This Agreement
not only sends a strong and concrete message to Jordanians and Jordan's
neighbors about the economic benefits of peace, but significantly
contributes to stability throughout the region. This Agreement is the
cap-stone of our economic partnership with Jordan, which has also included
U.S.-Jordanian cooperation on Jordan's accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO), our joint Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and
our Bilateral Investment Treaty. This Agreement is a vote of confidence in
Jordan's economic reform program, which should serve as a source of growth
and opportunity for Jordanians in the coming years.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement achieves the highest possible
commitments from Jordan on behalf of U.S. business on key trade issues,
providing significant and extensive liberalization across a wide spectrum
of trade issues. For example, it will eliminate all tariffs on industrial
goods and agricultural products within 10 years. The FTA covers all
agriculture without exception. The Agreement will also eliminate
commercial barriers to bilateral trade in services originating in the
United States and Jordan. Specific liberalization has been achieved in
many key services sectors, including energy distribution, convention,
printing and publishing, courier, audiovisual, education, environmental,
financial, health, tourism, and transport services.
In the area of intellectual property rights, the U.S.-Jordan Free
Trade Agreement builds on the strong commitments Jordan made in acceding to
the WTO. The provisions of the FTA incorporate the most up-to-date
international standards for copyright protection, as well as protection for
confidential test data for pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals and
stepped-up commitments on enforcement. Among other things, Jordan has
undertaken to ratify and implement the World Intellectual Property
Organization's (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and WIPO Performances and Phonograms
Treaty within 2 years.
The FTA also includes, for the first time ever in the text of a trade
agreement, a set of substantive provisions on electronic commerce. Both
countries agreed to seek to avoid imposing customs duties on electronic
transmissions, imposing unnecessary barriers to market access for digitized
products, and impeding the ability to deliver services through electronic
means. These provisions also tie in with commitments in the services area
that, taken together, aim at encouraging investment in new technologies and
stimulating the innovative uses of networks to deliver products and
services.
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The FTA joins free trade and open markets with civic responsibilities.
In this Agreement, the United States and Jordan affirm the importance of
not relaxing labor or environmental laws in order to increase trade. It is
important to note that the FTA does not require either country to adopt any
new laws in these areas, but rather includes commitments that each country
enforce its own labor and environmental laws.
The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement will help advance the long-term
U.S. objective of fostering greater Middle East regional economic
integration in support of the establishment of a just, comprehensive, and
lasting peace, while providing greater market access for U.S. goods,
services, and investment. I urge the prompt and favorable consideration of
this legislation.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 6, 2001.
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