Locke said there is no timeline on when the Colombia deal - which has been held over from the last administration along with pacts with South Korea and Panama - will be sent to Congress for passage. But he said President Barack Obama remains committed to addressing lawmakers' concerns about violence against labor unions in Colombia in order to get the FTA approved.

After meeting with Colombia President Alvaro Uribe in June, Obama "reaffirmed his support for trying to move that trade agreement forward, but there are some concerns on the Hill dealing with the issue of violence against labor leaders," Locke said at a forum with U.S. business representatives...

Click here for full article>>