(13)
Since the implementing bill and FTA agreement cannot be amended, theHouse Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees and House and SenateJudiciary committees held mock (non-markup) markups with Administrationrepresentatives as witnesses to make changes to the draft implementing legislation. For suchexports, tariffs are to be phased out over five years. This was the first time such commitments were included in aninternational trade agreement and may set a precedent for services liberalizationefforts in the WTO and in other FTAs. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). (Chapter 16) According to the U.S. Trade Representative, the protection ofcopyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets under the FTA goes farther thanprevious free-trade agreements. practice. (30) 
Competition Policy. Government Procurement. Customs Procedures. Labor and Environmental Provisions

Environment. The TPA ( P.L. Among themare to ensure that a party to a trade agreement with the United States does not fail toeffectively enforce its environmental or labor laws, through a sustained or recurringcourse of action or inaction, in a manner affecting trade between the United States;to strengthen the capacity of U.S. trading partners to promote respect for core laborstandards; and to strengthen the capacity of U.S. trading partners to protect theenvironment through the promotion of sustainable development. The labor and other provisions in the FTA have been criticized by theAFL-CIO. Issues

A fundamental issue with respect to the U.S.-Singapore FTA was whether theUnited States should pursue free trade and investment relations on a bilateral basiswith the island nation of Singapore rather than maintaining existing trade practiceson both sides or pursuing more liberalized trade relations through other means. The underlying issue of whether the United States should pursue moreliberalized trade and investment relations with Singapore dovetails into the largerissue of globalization and its effects on the United States, particularly on labor andwages. (52) 
As discussed earlier in this report, the Integrated Sourcing Initiative alsohas generated some debate. Also at issue is the extent to which particular provisions of theU.S.-Singapore FTA would be used as a template for FTA negotiations with othernations . (58) 
In summary, since Singapore is a relatively small economy, the overalleconomic effects of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement are not expected tobe great. The debate over implementation of the FTA fell between business andfree-trade interests who favor more liberalized trade, particularly in services, andlabor or anti-globalization interests who oppose more FTAs because of the overallimpact of imports on jobs and the general effects of globalization on incomedistribution, certain jobs, and the environment. S. 1417 , the United States-Singapore Free Trade AgreementImplementation Act, was introduced July 15, 2003, by Senator Grassley. July 14, 2003. 2739 , U.S.-Singapore Free Trade AgreementImplementation Act by a vote of 32-5. July 17, 2003. Senate Judiciary Committee also approved the act. The House passed H.R. 2739 (United States-Singapore Free TradeAgreement Implementation Act) by a vote of 272-155 (Roll No. for the UnitedStates and Singapore Under the U.S.-Singapore Free TradeAgreement 
Source: Text of the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
On September 4, 2003, President Bush signed the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement( P.L. 108-78 ) into law in a White House ceremony. The agreement went into effect on January 1,2004. In late July 2003, the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act hadpassed the House by a vote of 272-155 and the Senate by a vote of 66-32. The Free Trade Agreement(FTA) will, with a phase-in period, eliminate tariffs on all goods traded between them, cover tradein services, and protect intellectual property rights. In July 2003, the House Ways and MeansCommittee, Senate Finance Committee, and House and Senate Judiciary Committees held mockmarkups on the draft implementing legislation. On July 15, the United States-Singapore FTAImplementation Act ( H.R. 2739 (Delay) and S. 1417 (Grassley)) wasintroduced and by July 17 had received committee approval.
The agreement has received support from the business community and consumerorganizations but has been criticized by labor and some environmental interests. Some of thespecific concerns raised deal with the restrictions on penalties for unresolvable disputes over laborand environmental issues, the Integrated Sourcing Initiative, potential capital controls, temporaryvisas, and access for U.S. exports of chewing gum. A basic policy issue with respect to the FTA iswhether the United States should pursue free trade and investment relations on a bilateral basis ratherthan maintaining existing trade and investment practices on both sides or pursuing more liberalizedtrade relations through other means. Also at issue is the extent to which the FTA language shouldbe used as a model for other agreements.
Negotiations for the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement were launched under the ClintonAdministration in December 2000. The FTA would be the fifth such agreement the United Stateshas signed and the first with an Asian country. According to the U.S. Trade Representative, the FTAhas broken new ground in electronic commerce, competition policy, and government procurement. It also includes what the U.S. Trade Representative reportedly considers to be major advances inintellectual property protection, environment, labor, transparency, customs cooperation, andtransshipments.
The U.S.-Singapore FTA required congressional implementation under expedited TradePromotion Authority legislative procedures. It continues the trend toward greater trade liberalizationand globalization, contains a new approach to imposing penalties for unresolvable environmentaland labor disputes; and may affect certain trade flows that would, in turn, affect U.S. businesses.
Since Singapore is a relatively small economy, the economic effects of the U.S.-SingaporeFree Trade Agreement, by themselves, are not likely to be great. The debate over implementationof the FTA is falling between business and free trade interests who would benefit from moreliberalized trade, particularly in services, and labor or anti-globalization interests who oppose moreFTAs because of the overall impact of imports on jobs and the general effects of globalization onincome distribution, certain jobs, and the environment. Specific provisions of the agreement alsohave generated debate. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.