In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress called on the Trade Representative’s Office to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties with Georgia, and specifically advocated for a free trade agreement with the country.
In the letter, Representatives Carol Miller, Adam Kinzinger, Steve Womack, John Rose, Jimmy Gomez, Gerald Connolly, Dan Crenshaw, and Alex Mooney noted that Georgia is a vital U.S. ally whose ambitious reform agenda would be strengthened by increased U.S. engagement. “Georgia is a critical ally of the United States. As an evolving democracy, Georgia must make important political and economic reforms which will increase stability in the Caucasus region, and the prospect of enhanced trade relations with the United States could catalyze those reforms,” the letter read.
While a free trade agreement would serve to propel Georgia’s reforms, the letter also states that additional U.S. efforts to engage with Georgia would also serve the United States by providing a regional stronghold for American economic interests and values. “Greater economic engagement with the United States at the appropriate time could further propel Georgia’s market reforms and pro-investment policies and give American goods and services a greater foothold in South Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey and Eastern Europe,” the Members wrote. Increased economic engagement “could also pave the way for greater economic relationships between the United States and Georgia, consolidation of democratic values in Georgia, and increased labor and environmental standards, which would further project American values and best practices abroad,” they added.
The legislators further stated that a free trade agreement with Georgia—which would be the only such agreement in the region—would add to a strong foundation that has been built over decades of cooperation. The letter noted that, “The United States and Georgia have a strong foundation on which to deepen trade relations, including the U.S.-Georgia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, a High-level Trade Dialogue, a Bilateral Investment Treaty, and Georgia’s status as a beneficiary of the Generalized System of Preferences. Georgia has also been recognized by the European Union as a high-value trade partner and conduit to energy security, evidenced by the development of an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the European Union and Georgia.”
Amid rising geopolitical tensions and authoritarian encroachment, the potential of a trade agreement in furthering the progress of Georgia’s institutional reforms and in advancing U.S. interests would serve the joint-interests of the U.S.-Georgia partnership. In line with the Biden administration’s efforts to promote multilateral engagement through fostering bilateral cooperation, a free trade agreement with Georgia will serve to strengthen the U.S. hand in the Black Sea and South Caucasus region and accelerate the pace of the region’s democratic consolidation.