U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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89–011 2001

107th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 107–15

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND JORDAN ON THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF A FREE TRADE AREA

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

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

JANUARY 20, 2001.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the

Committees on Ways and Means and the Judiciary, and ordered to be

printed

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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 capstone 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

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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.

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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