- Central American Free Trade Agreement
(CAFTA) - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua
Status: Signed by U.S. Awaits ratification by legislatures
in respective countries
- Dominican Republic
Status: Signed by U.S. Was going to dock to CAFTA
but talk of imposing a tariff on artificial sweeteners
to protect its sugar industry could derail it
- Panama
Status: Under negotiation. Seventh round set
for week of January 10 in Washington DC
- Andean Free Trade Agreement - Colombia,
Ecuador, Peru; Bolivia as observer
Status: Under negotiation. Seventh round to be
held in January
- Free Trade of the Americas (FTAA) - Caribbean
Status: Under negotiation. On hold for a year due
to disagreements on agriculture, Intellectual Property
Rights, and details on objectives.
USAID works closely with the Office of U.S. Trade Representative
on these negotiations, helping countries to transition
to free trade through rural diversification, small business
development and enhancing competitiveness. This includes
training negotiators as well as helping countries in
regulatory issues, such as customs and intellectual
property rights.
Millennium Assistance
Two LAC countries were selected to be eligible for Millennium
Challenge Account assistance for the first time. They
are Guyana and Paraguay. Already qualified to receive
the funds are are Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua.
New Corruption Perception Index
The 2004 Corruption Perception Index was released
recently by Transparency International, amid complaints
published in the “Financial Times” (Oct,
20, 04) that the index measures perceptions –
not corruption. Complaints said the index unfairly portrays
the lower ranked countries since at least 50 are not
even on the list.
Top ten in the LAC region listed were Haiti (145),
Paraguay (140), Bolivia and Guatemala (122), Honduras
and Venezuela (114), Ecuador (112), Argentina (108),
Nicaragua (97), Dominican Republic (87), Jamaica (74)
and Peru (67).
New Trade Resources
USAID has updated its Trade
Capacity Building database with 2004 data.
A new World Bank report (Global
Economic Prospects 2005: Trade, Regionalism and Development)
noted that developing countries’ estimated growth
of 6.1 percent in 2004 is the best in three decades.
It is, though, expected to moderate, the report said.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
offer access to the World
Bank Quarterly External Debt Statistics database
that exhibits external debt statistics for 41 countries.
It is updated every three months.
The International Center for Tropical Agriculture submitted
its Medium-Term
2005-7 Plan (pdf, 805KB)to promote the production,
processing and marketing of fruits by rural communities.
Several papers on the relationship between trade and
poverty follow:
Upcoming Events
January 10 – Seventh round
of U.S. Panama FTA negotiations (tentative: Washington
D.C.)
January TBD – Seventh round
of U.S. – Andean FTA negotiations (tentative:
Colombia)
January 18-20 – National
Conference to Internationalize Extension (Orlando,
FL.) -- The joint needs of responding to domestic diversity
and the changing global perspective will be discussed.
February 28 – Annual
International Roundtable on Competition and Trade Policy
(Coral Gables, FLA) -- Roundtable will discuss changing
competition in trade policy in the global economy. Agency
heads from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic,
European Union, Italy, Mexico, U.S., and Venezuela are
expected to attend. |
