The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce

 RESOLUTION #2005-01

 Supporting - Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement

WHEREAS; The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce appreciates the many benefits that trade brings to Washington State’s dairy and beef industries as well as to our country and supports efforts to open worldwide markets even further.  

WHEREAS;  The Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) between the United States and the Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic holds great promise for the state of Washington through:

• Supporting American Jobs – American workers already export $15.7 billion in U.S. products to Central America and the Dominican Republic and two-way trade surpassed $32 billion in 2004.  Washington’s exports to the DR-CAFTA countries grew by 228 percent between 2002 and 2003.
• Leveling Tariffs and Fees – Today, 80 percent of Central American and Dominican products enter the U.S. market duty free, while our exports face significant tariffs.  In other words, these countries are enjoying nearly free access to our marketplace while our access to their market place remains limited.  DR-CAFTA will fix this imbalance by immediately eliminating all tariffs on 80 percent of U.S. manufactured goods with the remaining phased out over the next few years.  Tariffs on all agriculture products will be reduced by 50 percent immediately, the remainder phased out over time. 
• Providing New Opportunities for Washington Companies – DR-CAFTA will open services markets such as telecom, insurance, and express shipments; provide new legal protections for copyrights, patents, and trademarks; and foster transparency in government procurement.
• Offering a Helping Hand to our Friends, Allies and Neighbors – DR-CAFTA will lock in democratic reforms, enhance labor standards, and boost economic growth throughout region.  A stronger economy will provide governments with additional resources for education, health care, and infrastructure projects.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, for these reasons, the Board of Directors of The Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce is joining with hundreds of chambers across the United States and Central America in support of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement.