“I'm delighted that the U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick has decided that it is appropriate to move forward with free trade negotiations with the Dominican Republic,” said Rangel. “Any delay would leave the D.R. at a competitive disadvantage, potentially leading to a diversion of investment from the island.”

Negotiations are expected to be concluded and an agreement submitted to Congress in three months, just in time to be considered together with a regional free trade proposal between Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the U.S. The D.R., according to the USTR, is not only the leading destination of American products in the region but also the regional leader in production sharing arrangements with the U.S.

Congressman Rangel is senior Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, which among other duties has jurisdiction over trade agreements. Over the course of the last year, he has initiated several meetings between the U.S. and Dominican officials, including personally lobbying Zoellick and President Bush to complete the agreement as soon as possible.

"As I have long maintained, this is a critical next step in strengthening bilateral economic relations between the United States and Caribbean and Central American countries,” said Rangel. "Under the correct framework of rules, we can build upon the 20-year history of the Caribbean Basin Initiative program in the right way and encourage economic development without sacrificing basic human and labor rights."