A U.S. government economist says that products made at the Gaesong Industrial Complex could enjoy the benefits of preferential tariffs under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement once Washington and Pyongyang normalize diplomatic ties and the North Korean nuclear issue is resolved.

Economist Dick Nanto of the U.S. Congressional Research Service told Radio Free Asia on Friday that products made at Gaesong could be included in the trade pact when a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is realized.

At the same time, Nanto underscored that their inclusion depends upon the dismantlement of the North's nuclear weapons programs.