Bush to sign U.S.-Peru free-trade deal

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said he would sign a U.S.-Peru free-trade agreement that cleared Congress Tuesday.

The Senate approved the free trade pact by a 77-18 vote.

"This agreement will level the playing field for American exporters and investors and will expand an important market in this hemisphere for U.S. goods and services, which will help strengthen economic growth and job creation in the United States," Bush said.

"I look forward to signing this legislation into law."

The agreement was modified in May under pressure from Democrats to take into account environmental and human rights concerns.

The deal will let more than 90 percent of U.S. products enter Peru's growing market duty-free. Most Peruvian products already have duty-free access to the United States.

The House approved the agreement by a 285-132 vote Nov. 8.

Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said the agreement also created "new opportunities for (agricultural) products that currently face high tariffs to enter the Peruvian market."

U.S. exporters sold nearly $333 million in agricultural products in Peru this fiscal year, Conner said.

Overall trade between the United States and Peru amounted to $8.8 billion in 2006, U.S. Commerce Department figures show.