24 September 2008

U.S., 11 Other Western Hemisphere Nations Launch Trade Initiative

Agreement designed to enhance trade, investment throughout the region

President Bush, center, and leaders from Western Hemisphere nations announce a new trade initiative.

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington — The United States and 11 other countries in the Western Hemisphere are launching an initiative designed to enhance trade and investment throughout the region.

Citing progress resulting from other trade arrangements in the hemisphere, President Bush said this initiative — Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas — is designed to expand the progress already achieved.  Each of the 11 countries either has an existing free-trade agreement with the United States or has one pending before the U.S. Congress.

"In the nearly 15 years since NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] entered into force, trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased by a combined total of more than 200 percent," he said.

This initiative will provide a forum where leaders can work to ensure that benefits gained from improved trade are more broadly shared throughout the region, Bush said during a briefing at the Council of the Americas in New York on September 24.

"It will deepen the connections among regional markets.  It will expand our cooperation on development issues," he said.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after the president's announcement that trade has accounted for more than 45 percent of U.S. economic growth in 2007, and that the U.S. exported $926 billion worth of goods and services in the first half of this year, which was 18 percent higher than during the same period last year.

A fact sheet on free trade agreements states that when Bush took office in 2001 the United States had free-trade agreements with three countries, but today the United States has agreements in force with 14 countries as well as three approved by Congress but not yet in force.

"It's in our interest to continue to open up markets, particularly in our own neighborhood," Bush said.

The 11 nations joining the United States in announcing the initiative are Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru.

A communiqué issued by the group says the Pathways initiative is open to all Western Hemisphere countries, either as partners or as observers "that share our commitment to democracy, open markets and free trade."

The group will meet again at the ministerial level before the year's end to develop an agenda and determine next steps, the communiqué says.

The text of the communiqué is available on America.gov.  See the text of President Bush's remarks.  Also see the text of Secretary Rice's remarks.