MONTEVIDEO - Representatives of the Government of Uruguay and of the Government of the United States of America today in Montevideo, Uruguay, signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement ("TIFA"). Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John K. Veroneau signed for the United States and Presidential Chief of Staff Gonzalo Fernandez signed for Uruguay.
In signing this agreement, both parties reaffirm their commitment to expand economic opportunities between Uruguay and the United States while simultaneously coordinating their efforts to promote greater trade liberalization through the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Through the agreement, the parties establish a United States-Uruguay Council on Trade and Investment. Uruguay’s Chief of Staff to the President and the United States Trade Representative shall serve as joint chairs.
The agreement sets forth a work program covering different matters, such as facilitation and liberalization of bilateral trade and investment (including agricultural issues), cooperation on SPS measures, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property rights, regulatory issues affecting trade policy and investment, information and communications technology and e-commerce, trade and technical capacity building, trade in services, government procurement and other matters as the Council may decide.
Technical teams from both sides will start to exchange proposals in order to prepare for the first meeting of the Council on Trade and Investment in Washington in April 2007.