THE AMERICAS - BEYOND NAFTA
FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) Updated 2 April 2010
Talks began at the Summit of the Americas held in Miami, USA, on 11 December 1994.
Proposed agreement (an extension of the NAFTA Agreement): To eliminate or reduce trade barriers
among the 34 democratic nations in the Americas.
Countries involved in negotiations.
Impasse in the negotiations is due to conflicting needs of the more- and less-developed nations.  
(1) Developed nations, under the leadership of the USA, seek expanded trade in services and
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increased intellectual property rights. (2) Less developed nations, led by Brazil, seek end to agricultural
subsidies and freer trade in agricultural goods.
    AGREEMENTS, TARIFFS, BARRIERS AND OTHER TRADE ISSUES

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) – provides information on existing GSP schemes for the benefit of government officials, exporters, and
others.

NAFTA Trilateral Websites, U.S. Customs & Border Protection – provides advisory information only on a
wide range of customs-related issues.

Office of the United States Trade Representative – Trade Agreements.

SICE – The Foreign Trade Information System of the OAS (Organization of American States) – offers the
following world trade information:
  • Trade Agreements, classified by type and signatory country;
  • Trade Policies;
  • Trade Issues – anti-dumping, competition policy, dispute settlement, electronic commerce, intellectual
    property rights, investment, services, technical barriers to trade, and more;
  • Tariffs;
  • Update on the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) process; and
  • Up-to-date trade news.

2009 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Business by County Updated 2 April 2010
Annual series, provided by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, that surveys significant foreign
barriers to U.S. exports.
The report provides, where feasible, quantitative estimates of the impact of these
foreign practices on the value of U.S. exports. Information is also included on action taken to eliminate barriers.
    DISCLAIMER:  Links to other websites are provided for informational purposes only. RBITS is not responsible for
    the information contained in articles and sites nor should it be construed that RBITS endorses the views contained
    therein.
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THIS PAGE WAS LAST UPDATED ON: 2 APRIL 2010
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Goals: Creation of a free trade block similar to NAFTA and a step forward towards the formation of the FTAA.
Check Out: For more information, check out the following sites:
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DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement) Updated 2 April 2010
Negotiations for CAFTA began in January 2003 between the USA and Central America. It was
renamed DR-CAFTA when the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean country, joined the negotiations.
The agreement was signed in May 2004.
Countries which signed the agreement include: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the United States.
Click
here for a map of the region
Note: French Guiana, the remaining South American country, is an Overseas Department of France and is
therefore a member of the European Union (EU).
The main goal of this agreement is to unite MECROSUR and the Andean Community as well as Chile, Guyana
and Suriname to form a community similar to the European Union (EU) with a common currency, parliament and
passport. The union is projected for completion by 2019.
With regards to trade issues, member nations will work towards eliminating tariffs on non-sensitive products by
2014 and sensitive products by 2019.
Check Out: South American Union of Nations Constitutive Treaty signed by all members in Brasilia, Brazil,
on May 23, 2008. Decision taken to constitute UNASUR as an entity with international judicial character.
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UNASUR/UNASUL (Union of South American Nations) formerly known as
SACN (South American Community of Nations) Updated 2 April 2010
Agreement signed in December 2004 by the presidents or their representatives of 12 South American
nations. Members include the following nations:
  • Andean Community – Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru;
  • Mercosur – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela; and
  • Other Countries – Chile (associate member of both South American blocks), Guyana and
    Suriname (both members of CARICOM).
REGIONAL TRADE BLOCKS, TARIFFS AND TRADE BARRIERS
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