The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (also known as KORUS FTA) is a trade agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea. Negotiations were announced on February 2, 2006 and were concluded on April 1, 2007. The successful completion of the agreement was announced on April 2, 2007 and the treaty was signed on June 30, 2007, [1]. It has been reported that this agreement would be the second largest trade agreement ever for the United States, after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Korean Americans for Fair Trade (KAFT) is a national coalition of Korean-Americans who call for trade policies that promote equitable and sustainable development of working people and the environment. KAFT was formed in 2006 due to concerns with the non-transparent negotiations process and dangerous provisions proposed in the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KorUS FTA). Our coalition works closely with farmers, labor advocates, public health experts, and other civil rights organizations in the United States and South Korea. KAFT promotes a fair trade model that supports the following principles:

• Mutual benefit, respect for democratic rights and progress towards equality;
• Democratic participation, transparency and accountability during the trade negotiations process;
• Strengthened labor and environmental standards;
• Protection of vulnerable populations.

We are not convinced that the KorUS FTA will be beneficial to ordinary American workers and farmers. In the United States, unfettered free trade has been directly responsible for massive loss of jobs and erosion of hard-won benefits and rights for workers and the middle class. Nowhere has this been more apparent today than with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). For more info, go to KAFT.org.

Office of the United States Trade Representative: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of over 200 people, a highly committed group of professionals who have decades of specialized experience in trade issues and regions of the world. They negotiate directly with foreign governments to create trade agreements, resolve disputes and participate in global trade policy organizations. They also meet with governments, business groups, legislators and public interest groups to gather input on trade issues and explain the president’s trade policy positions. The agency was founded in 1962 and has offices in Washington, Geneva and Brussels. The official information on the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement can be found at USTR.GOV: Korea-US FTA and the final the Final Text of the Korea-US FTA can be found at USTR.GOV: Korea-US FTA Final Text.

National Association of Manufacturers: The NAM’s mission is to advocate on behalf of its members to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturers by shaping a legislative and regulatory environment conducive to U.S. economic growth and to increase understanding among policymakers, the media and the general public about the vital role of manufacturing in America’s economic and national security for today and in the future: NAM Korea FTA.

U.S. - Korea FTA Business Coalition: The U.S. - Korea FTA Business Coaltion is a broad-based group of U.S. companies, industry organizations, trade associations, and state and local chambers of commerce that strongly support the approval by Congress of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The U.S.-Korea Business Council serves as the Coalition's secretariat: http://www.uskoreafta.org/ .

bilaterals.org: a collective effort to share information and stimulate cooperation against bilateral trade and investment agreements that are opening countries to the deepest forms of penetration by transnational corporations: info regarding anti-FTA.