The free trade agreement between Jordan and the US is likely to be approved this week by the Congress, before it is passed on to the Senate for endorsement, said Jordan’s ambassador to Washington, Marwan Muasher, on Friday.
“We are working hard to remove all obstacles facing the endorsement of the FTA, which has been passed to the finance committees of the Congress and the Senate,” the
Jordan Times quoted Muasher as telling JTV's weekly program 60 Minutes.
Muasher said the US-Jordan FTA would boost the Jordanian economy, attract foreign investment, help ease unemployment and increase Jordanian exports to the US.
He attributed a several months-long delay to ideological differences between the Democrats and the Republicans over issues related to labor and environmental provisions.
The FTA inked by the US and Jordan last October has attracted attention because for the first time, such an agreement includes provisions on protecting labor rights and upholding environmental standards, a source told the paper.
In order to address the concerns raised during the debate, Jordan and the US have exchanged letters pledging not to use sanctions to enforce labor and environmental provisions, news agencies reported.
Despite these differences, the two countries have reached a compromise after long talks last month, and after an exchange of letters with the US administration, Muasher said, adding that any differences or controversial issues would be solved through negotiations – Albawaba.com
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