U.S.-Colombia trade deal to enter into force in May

CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - The U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement will enter into force next month, reducing duties on American exports entering the South American country, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Sunday.

The announcement came during the Summit of the Americas in Colombia, where President Barack Obama has been meeting regional political and business leaders including Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to push for greater access for U.S. exports.

Kirk told reporters in Colombia the free trade deal that Obama signed in October would be implemented on May 15 - much earlier than most had expected.

"We believe this is a very historic step," Kirk said.

Colombia's weak labor record, including murders and attacks that were not investigated, held up the free trade pact for years. Some U.S. unions had opposed the deal - which was largely negotiated under former President George W. Bush - on the grounds that Colombia lacked the capacity to enforce worker protections.

In a Labor Action Plan signed a year ago, as a step toward the trade deal, Colombia promised safeguards that labor activists have demanded for years, including full-time police to investigate crimes involving unions.

The decision to implement the trade deal in May reflects a U.S. assessment that Colombia's labor concerns have been appropriately tackled, and an agreement between Obama and Santos that other preparatory steps have been taken by both Bogota and Washington.

Colombia already has duty-free access to the United States for most goods under longtime U.S. trade preference programs. When implemented, the deal will eliminate most of the duties Colombia now imposes on American farming and manufactured goods.

(Reporting By Laura MacInnis; Editing by Eric Beech and Sandra Maler)