First Draft Persuasive Essay

Through out the past couple of years Colombia has been struggling with a decision of whether accepting or denying the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, most commonly known as “El Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC).” There have been various parties with opposition to it and several others in agreement, but in order to take a side we must first understand what it really consist of. The TLC is an agreement between two or more countries through which norms are created to facilitate the commerce among them in such a way that their products and services can be exchanged with greater freedom. By signing the treaty, Colombia will be able to sell its products and services outside the country in better conditions, due to the fact that they will not have to pay taxes (protectionist customs taxes) nor been put under other types of barriers. Besides, since the national market is not sufficient to prompt the growth of the country therefore we must look for larger markets in other countries. As we export more, the national economy will grow; new jobs will be created and will improve the income average of all the inhabitants, this will then generate a greater demand and therefore become a vicious circle which will cause the economy to rise. The consumers will also be benefited from the agreements of free commerce because they will have a greater variety of products and services for the satisfaction of their needs and will be able to buy them at better prices.

Colombia is presently engaged in free commerce with Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Mexico. Thanks to these treaties, today Colombian products enter all the countries mentioned above in advantageous conditions of competitiveness, without paying taxes or paying very few of them, which increments the amount of sale. As well as being linked to this countries Colombia is in the process of negotiation with the European Union, and in the future plans to link itself with the 148 other countries which are part of the World-Wide Organization of Commerce. Doesn’t it mean something that 148 countries are linked to this free commerce? Why would that amount of countries participate in the organization if it were to have a negative effect on the people?

Off course that within change comes also negative effects that will implicate a whole bunch of restrictions and burdens put upon the national industries, but on the long run it will create a sense of competition, forcing them to improve their services and merchandises, leading to an improvement in both the services that we consume as well as the amount of demand for them causing the countries economy to develop.

If the TLC were to be accepted, it would generate opportunities for all Colombians, without exception and the improvement of the national economy. Initially it would benefit the exporting sectors because they would be able to sell their products and services, in very favorable conditions, in the immense American market. Afterwards the treaty would also benefit all other national producers because when increasing the exports the employments increase, therefore the average people’s income would as well, as a result people will have a bigger amount of money to spend and consequently consume what is imported into Colombia and what is produced inside.