Max Baucus: “in the coming weeks, the Finance Committee will be working closely with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to…”

“in the coming weeks, the Finance Committee will be working closely with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to develop written Guidelines on consultations between the Administration and Congress in trade negotiations. These Guidelines will be our roadmap for collaboration between the Executive and Legislative Branches on trade negotiations for the next five years. They will be the basis for the partnership of equals called for by the Trade Act of 2002. The trade negotiation agenda promises to be busy. Even before passage of the Trade Act, work was under way in the Doha Round of WTO negotiations and in the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations. USTR also was busy concluding free trade agreements with Chile and Singapore. Since passage of the Trade Act, USTR has expressed the Administration's interest in beginning FTA negotiations with Morocco, Central America, the Southern African Customs Union, and Australia. This busy agenda requires maximum clarity in the rules governing interaction between the Administration and Congress. Clear rules will form a foundation for a common understanding of how we bring trade agreements from the concept phase to the implementation phase. This common understanding will help ensure a smooth process, with few if any surprises or bumps in the road. The Trade Act defines the scope of coverage of the contemplated Guidelines on trade negotiations.”