【英语国际】美国誓言重新推进美韩自由贸易协议

The Obama administration said it has made new progress on a free trade agreement with South Korea that could overcome resistance in Congress, and agreed with Seoul to complete the pact by November.

The plan, a bid to jump-start a languishing trade agenda, was announced at the Group of 20 summit Saturday and is designed to end a three-year impasse on a preliminary Free Trade Agreement reached with Korea in 2007.

Seoul hosts the next Group of 20 meeting in November, where a deal on the agreement would be unveiled.

President Obama is likely to face resistance from unions that fear any new trade pacts may cede jobs to nations abroad. Business, on the other hand, has pushed for the pact, arguing that it will spur exports and create employment in the U.S. Mr. Obama has been walking a political line between both important constituencies.

The administration's slow movement on trade thus far has favored labor interests, including its failure to move forward on pacts with Colombia and Panama.

The announcement Saturday is also meant to buttress U.S. support of South Korea at a time when it is facing renewed hostilities with North Korea.

'Korea is a very important ally. It's a good moment to help strengthen that alliance,' said a senior administration official.

When a preliminary FTA with South Korea was reached in 2007, the International Trade Commission said it would increase U.S. exports by up to $11 billion annually.

South Korea is the U.S.'s seventh-largest trading partner, accounting for nearly $50 billion in exports of goods and services in 2008.

美国政府说，已经在与韩国的一项自由贸易协议上取得了新的进展，有望克服国会中的反对声；此外，两国政府就在11月之前签署协议达成了共识。

European Pressphoto Agency在上周末举行的G20多伦多峰会上，韩国总统李明博与美国总统奥巴马会晤。该计划在上周六召开的G20峰会上宣布，旨在启动一项一再拖延的贸易议程，结束在2007年美国在与韩国达成的初步自由贸易协议上长达三年的僵局。

韩国政府将主办11月份的G20峰会，届时该协议内容将得以曝光。

奥巴马总统很可能面临来自工会的阻力，工会担心任何新的贸易协议都有可能把就业岗位拱手让给其他国家。另一方面，企业界则力促协议的达成，它们说这将提振出口，在美国国内创造就业岗位。奥巴马一直谨慎地试图在这两类重要支持者之间取得政治平衡。

Reuters韩国总统李明博出席G8峰会。目前为止，美国政府在贸易问题上的缓慢行动有利于劳工权益，包括政府没能推进与哥伦比亚和巴拿马的协议。

周六的声明还有一个目的就是在韩国面临朝鲜再度萌生的敌意之际，巩固美国对韩国的支持。

一位高级政府官员说，韩国是一个非常重要的盟友，现在是加强同盟关系的良机。

2007年美国与韩国达成一项初步自由贸易协议时，美国国际贸易委员会(International Trade Commission)曾说，这将使美国出口额每年最多增加110亿美元。

韩国是美国第七大贸易伙伴，2008年在美国产品和服务出口中占了近500亿美元。