Singapore FTA Text: The full text of the agreement. Questions were also raised about the legal power to enforce immigration legislation. Some questioned whether the legislation`s Laws 106 and 107 would allow an international body to repeal decisions made by officials of the Ministry of Homeland Security or the Attorney General regarding the rejection of Singapore visa applicants. The USTR replied that the panel set up by the free trade agreement would be binational and would deal only with cases brought by one of the parties to the agreement in which there was a model infringement. Some observers see a free trade agreement between the United States and Singapore as a step toward achieving the “bogor vision” of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in which the United States and the 21 other APEC members work toward “free and open trade in the Pacific.” It is also in line with the Enterprise for ASEAN initiative, a new trade initiative with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in which the United States has proposed the prospect of free trade agreements with countries that have committed to economic reforms and openness. Since the free trade agreements with Singapore (and Chile), the United States has signed or is entering into free trade agreements with Morocco, the South African Customs Union, Australia, five Central American countries, Bahrain and Thailand. The free trade agreement between the United States and Singapore stipulates that both sides must ensure that their national environmental laws ensure a high level of environmental protection and strive to improve them further. The agreement also requires parties to effectively enforce their own national environmental laws. With regard to labour standards, both sides should also reaffirm their commitments as members of the International Labour Organization.

They should strive to ensure that their national laws provide for labour standards consistent with internationally recognized labour principles. The agreement also requires the parties to effectively enforce their own labour and environmental laws. These obligations are enforceable by the dispute resolution procedures of the agreement, but with financial (limited) penalties in the event of non-compliance. Labour interests indicate that while the Singapore Agreement requires signatories to enforce their domestic labour laws, it does not require signatories to enforce labour laws or to ensure that their labour laws comply with any international norm or terrain. (53) Other important conditions of the agreement appear to improve U.S. companies` access to the Singapore services market. The agreement not only provides for a reduction in regulatory barriers for U.S. subsidiaries operating in Singapore and legal protection comparable to that of the United States, but also ensures that U.S.-based companies can sell their services (such as portfolio management, consulting, video, music and electronic software) without border barriers or customs fees. However, the Singapore market is relatively small and very competitive.