Citing the numerous business ties between the United States and Colombia made possible by Houston’s two primary airports, Congressman Kevin Brady, this month, made one final plea to Congress before heading to Colombia. What the legislator for the eighth congressional Texas district was asking for was the approval of a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Before heading to the Colombian city of Medellin for a bilateral trade mission, Brady held a press conference at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to promote his message.

“It’s no longer enough to simply buy American; we must sell American as well,” said Brady. “Congress needs to aggressively create opportunities to sell U.S. products and services throughout the world.”

Brady says the proposed US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement would further open Colombia’s growing economy to American goods and services by eliminating certain costs to exporting American products to Colombia. According to Brady, it would provide particular benefits to US farmers and ranchers by allowing them to export larger quantities of beef, cotton, wheat, soybeans, key fruits and vegetables, and many processed foods to that country.

In 2006, Texas exports to Colombia totaled $1.68 billion, the largest figure for any US state. That same year, total air cargo trade from Houston’s airports to Colombia was valued at $38 million, with exports accounting for 92.2 percent of Houston’s total air cargo trade with Colombia.