Bush seeks to suspend Bolivia trade benefits

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WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Internet): US President George W Bush wants to suspend Bolivia's trade preferences under a US-Andean trade pact rewarding countries that help battle illegal drugs, the White House said Friday.
Bush's press office released an official memorandum to the US Trade Representative, dated Thursday, in which the US president laid out the proposed step amid growing tensions between Washington and La Paz.
"I propose to suspend Bolivia's designation as a beneficiary country under the Andean Trade Preference Act ... and as an Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act beneficiary country," Bush said in the letter.
The laws allow Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia to export products tariff-free to US markets in return for their work in international efforts to battle international drug smuggling.