U.S. Halts Free Trade Negotiations With Ecuador
The Bush Administration has placed an indefinite hold on the negotiation of a free trade agreement with Ecuador due to Ecuador's decision to terminate a contract with Occidental Petroleum Corporation. A USTR spokesperson said the U.S. is "very disappointed at the decision of Ecuador, which appears to constitute a seizure of the assets of a U.S. company'' and will "seek an immediate clarification from the government of Ecuador, including whether it intends to fully compensate the company as required under our Bilateral Investment Treaty.''
|posted by Douglas N. Jacobson| Permalink 
