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“SALUTING THE FIRST TIME VISIT OF A JOINT DELEGATION FROM THE MERCOSUR COUNTRIES” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E558-E559 on April 2, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SALUTING THE FIRST TIME VISIT OF A JOINT DELEGATION FROM THE MERCOSUR
COUNTRIES
______
HON. XAVIER BECERRA
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 1, 1998
Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, for the first time in the history of the United States a Joint Delegation of the Parliamentary Committee of MERCOSUR (Southern Common Market), comprised of both Senators and Representatives from the Congresses of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, recently visited Washington, DC to meet with their United States counterparts.
The visit of the Delegation emphasizes the transformation that has taken place in the last decade and a half in these four South American countries. Understanding the need to decentralize their economies, these countries worked together to establish policies and regulations that have resulted in successful market-oriented economies.
The fifteen legislators from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay participated in several working sessions, met with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the House Committee on International Relations, and with Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). During their meeting with the CHC, we had the opportunity to discuss the political and economic integration process of MERCOSUR and the effects of this free-trade pact on the United States economy.
Data from the Department of Commerce on the current balance of trade between MERCOSUR and the United States shows that the United States not only enjoys a surplus in trade with MERCOSUR, but also reveals that exports to MERCOSUR countries are significantly larger than those to China and Russia together, $23.3 billion versus $16 billion. This is an important fact we should remember as we continue to develop relations with these countries.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my appreciation to the Joint MERCOSUR Parliamentary Delegation for visiting Washington and extend my congratulations to the MERCOSUR countries for their achievements.
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