A meeting of the minds between the Bush Administration and congressional Democrats on international labor and other trade issues paves the way for new trade agreements to help U.S. technology companies and workers more effectively compete in the world market, the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) said today.

The compromise reached by the Bush Administration and Congress should serve as a bipartisan template for an American trade policy that protects workers in future trade deals, allowing lawmakers to approve trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia, Panama and Peru as well as legislation to extend the president's trade promotion authority.

"This is an important breakthrough," said Matt Flanigan, EIA's interim president and CEO. "Lowering barriers to international commerce helps U.S. technology companies compete and create high-paying jobs for workers here at home. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, Chairmen Max Baucus and Charlie Rangel, congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson all deserve enormous credit for putting partisan differences aside for the good of our nation."

Columbia and South Korea are important markets to the electronics industry and the spirit of the new American trade policy announced last night should facilitate passage of trade agreements with these countries as well as those negotiated with Panama and Peru.