Free Trade Area of the Americas 47623 225653518 2008-07-14T19:18:24Z MantisEars 5527733 /* See also */ New World Order? {{Update}} [[Image:FTAAMainLogo14.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The FTAA logo.]] The '''Free Trade Area of the Americas''' ('''FTAA''') ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas'' (ALCA), [[French language|French]]: ''Zone de libre-échange des Amériques'' (ZLÉA), [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''Área de Livre Comércio das Américas'' (ALCA), [[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Vrijhandelszone van de Amerika's'') was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the [[Americas]]. In the latest round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 nations met in [[Miami]], [[Florida]], [[United States]], in [[November 2003]] to discuss the proposal.[http://www.ftaa-alca.org/Ministerials/Miami/Miami_e.asp] The proposed agreement was an extension of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) between [[Canada]], [[Mexico]] and the [[United States]]. Against the market are positioned [[Cuba]], [[Venezuela]] and later [[Bolivia]], [[Ecuador]], [[Dominica]] and [[Nicaragua]], which entered the [[Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas]] in response, and not strongly opposing but not supporting [[Argentina]], [[Chile]] and [[Brazil]]. Discussions have faltered over similar points as the [[Doha Development Round]] of [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) talks; developed nations seek expanded trade in [[Service Sector|services]] and increased [[intellectual property]] rights, while less developed nations seek an end to [[agricultural subsidy|agricultural subsidies]] and free trade in agricultural goods. Similar to the WTO talks, [[Brazil]] has taken a leadership role among the less developed nations, while the United States has taken a similar role for the developed nations. Talks began with the [[Summit of the Americas]] in [[Miami]] on [[December 11]], [[1994]], but the FTAA came to public attention during the [[Quebec City Summit of the Americas]], held in [[Canada]] in 2001, a meeting targeted by massive [[anti-corporatization]] and [[anti-globalization]] protests. The Miami negotiations in 2003 met similar protests, though perhaps not as large. The last summit was held at [[Mar del Plata]], [[Argentina]], in [[November 2005]], but no agreement on FTAA was reached. 26 of the 34 countries present at the negotiations pledged to meet again in 2006 to resume negotiations, but no such meeting took place. In previous negotiations, the United States has pushed for a single comprehensive agreement to reduce trade barriers for goods, while increasing intellectual property protection. Specific intellectual property protections could include [[DMCA|Digital Millennium Copyright Act]]-style copyright protections, similar to the [[U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement]]. Another protection would likely restrict the reimportation or cross-importation of pharmaceuticals, similar to the proposed agreement between the U.S. and Canada. [[Brazil]] has proposed a measured, three-track approach that calls for a series of bilateral agreements to reduce specific tariffs on goods, and a hemispheric pact on [[rules of origin]] and dispute resolution processes. Brazil seeks to omit the more controversial issues from the agreement, leaving them to the WTO. The location of the FTAA Secretariat was to have been determined in 2005. The contending cities are: [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Chicago]], [[Galveston, Texas|Galveston]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and [[Miami, Florida|Miami]] in the [[United States]]; [[Cancún]] and [[Puebla, Puebla|Puebla]] in [[Mexico]]; [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]]; [[Panama City]], [[Panama]]; and [[Port of Spain]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]]. The U.S. city of [[Colorado Springs]] also submitted its candidacy in the early days but subsequently withdrew.[http://www.ftaa-alca.org/tnc/candidate_e.asp] Miami, Panama City and Puebla served successively as interim secretariat headquarters during the negotiation process. As of November 2007, only Miami in the United States and Port of Spain in Trinidad appear to be actively vying for the secretariat headquarters.[http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/071129/story2.shtml], [http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_archive?id=161296488] <ref>{{cite web |title=Ministry of Trade and Industry: CARICOM Vies for FTAA Secretariat |url=http://www.tradeind.gov.tt/Business_Dev/FTAA/case%20for%20T&T.htm |accessdate=2008-06-27 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=Trinidad and Tobago Express newspaper: Manning wants Filipino labour |url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_archive?id=161258344 |accessdate=2008-06-27 }}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=Trinidad and Tobago Express newspaper: PM: T&T still pursuing FTAA headquarters |url=http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_archive?id=161119329|accessdate=2008-06-27 }}</ref> The failure of the Mar del Plata summit to set out a comprehensive agenda to keep FTAA alive has meant that there is little chance for a comprehensive trade agreement in the foreseeable future. ==Membership== The following countries have shown interest at some point in becoming members of the Free Trade Area of the Americas [http://www.ftaa-alca.org/busfac/clist_e.asp]: {{col-begin}} {{col-break|width = 33%}} *{{flagcountry|Antigua and Barbuda}} *{{flagcountry|Argentina}} *{{flagcountry|Bahamas}} *{{flagcountry|Barbados}} *{{flagcountry|Belize}} *{{flagcountry|Brazil}} *{{flagcountry|Canada}} *{{flagcountry|Chile}} *{{flagcountry|Colombia}} *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}} *{{flagcountry|Dominica}} {{col-break|width = 33%}} *{{flagcountry|Dominican Republic}} *{{flagcountry|El Salvador}} *{{flagcountry|Grenada}} *{{flagcountry|Guatemala}} *{{flagcountry|Guyana}} *{{flagcountry|Haiti}} *{{flagcountry|Honduras}} *{{flagcountry|Jamaica}} *{{flagcountry|Mexico}} *{{flagcountry|Panama}} {{col-break|width = 33%}} *{{flagcountry|Paraguay}} *{{flagcountry|Peru}} *{{flagcountry|Saint Kitts and Nevis}} *{{flagcountry|Saint Lucia}} *{{flagcountry|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}} *{{flagcountry|Suriname}} *{{flagcountry|Trinidad and Tobago}} *{{flagcountry|United States}} *{{flagcountry|Uruguay}} {{col-end}} Venezuela has been the most vocal opponent to the FTAA, calling it a program to be manipulated by the United States that would exploit Latin American labor. ==History pre-1994== In the 1960s there were several modest and humble attempts at regional integration in [[South America]], [[Central America]], and the [[Caribbean]]. The approach of these regional initiatives was to lower tariffs internally while maintaining high trade barriers against non-members. Regional initiatives included the 1960 [[Latin American Free Trade Association]] (LAFTA), the 1960 [[Central American Common Market]] (CACM), the 1965 [[Caribbean Free Trade Association]] (CARIFTA), and the 1969 [[Andean Community|Andean Pact]]. Many North American countries experienced a [[debt]] crisis in the 1980s, such as Mexico in 1982. These debt crises contributed to a "lost decade" in terms of economic growth, the adoption of numerous stabilization and [[structural adjustment]] programs with the [[IMF]], and a widespread re-evaluation of [[interventionist]], [[protectionist]] and inward-looking development strategies. In 1984 the U.S. unilaterally lowered its tariffs against many states in the [[Caribbean Basin]], as part of its [[Caribbean Basin Initiative]]. Many Latin American countries took non-discriminatory steps towards trade liberalization in the late 1980s (lowering tariffs against all countries, not just selected ones). This was done partly to follow through on [[General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade|GATT]] (now the [[WTO]]) commitments, but also unilaterally as a domestic policy choice or at the urging of the [[IMF]], the [[World Bank]], the [[Inter-American Development Bank|IDB]], and [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]]. Average [[tariff]] levels fell to about 20% in the region by the end of the 1980s. Another wave of regional trade agreements took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1989 the AP agreed to move towards freer trade within the region, as did CACM and the [[Caribbean Community]] (Caricom) in 1990. The Southern Cone Common Market ([[Mercosur]]) notably including Brazil was established in 1991 with similar plans for freer regional trade. The U.S. entered into the [[Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement]] (FTA) in 1989, and the beginning of negotiations towards free trade between Mexico and the U.S. were announced the next year in 1990. These negotiations were soon expanded to include Canada in the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA). Several Latin American countries approached the U.S. after the announcement, seeking to negotiate their own bilateral free trade agreements with the U.S., but the U.S. refused to negotiate more bilateral PTAs in the region until NAFTA was implemented. Instead, in June 1990 U.S. President [[George H. W. Bush]] announced the [[Enterprise for the Americas Initiative]] with the goal of achieving hemispheric free trade by 2000. In 1994 NAFTA came into force and the 1986–1994 [[Uruguay Round]] of [[GATT]] negotiations were completed. The goal of hemispheric free trade, which had been renamed the FTAA, was postponed until 2005 primarily at the request of Canada and the U.S. ==Opposition and critics== Huge movements have opposed the FTAA at every stage of its development. A coalition of senior citizens, labor groups, environmentalists, human rights advocates and peace advocates as well as concerned citizens have protested both major meetings of the FTAA. A vocal critic of the FTAA is [[Venezuela]]n president [[Hugo Chávez]], who has described it as an "[[annexation]] plan" and a "tool of [[imperialism]]" for the exploitation of Latin America {{Fact|date=October 2007}}. As a counterproposal to this initiative, Chávez has promoted the [[Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas]] (''Alternativa Bolivariana para las Américas'', ALBA), based on the model of the [[European Union]], which makes emphasis on energy and infrastructure agreements that are gradually extended to other areas finally to include the total economic, political and military integration of the member states. Also, [[Evo Morales]] of [[Bolivia]] has referred to the US-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, as "an agreement to legalize the colonization of the Americas." On the other hand, the presidents of [[Brazil]], [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]], and [[Argentina]], [[Néstor Kirchner]], have stated that they do not oppose the FTAA but they do demand that the agreement provide for the elimination of US agriculture [[subsidy|subsidies]], the provision of effective access to foreign markets and further consideration towards the needs and sensibilities of its members. One of the most contentious issues of the treaty proposed by the United States is with concerns to [[patent]]s and [[copyright]]s. Critics claim that if the measures proposed by the US were implemented and applied this would prevent scientific research in Latin America, causing as a consequence more inequalities and technological dependence from the developed countries. On the issue of patents, some critics of the FTAA, such as [[Canadian]] [[Canadian nationalism|nationalist]] [[Maude Barlow]], have accused the US of attempting to patent Latin America-made inventions. On the [[Council of Canadians]] web site, Barlow wrote: "This agreement sets enforceable global rules on patents, copyrights and trademark. It has gone far beyond its initial scope of protecting original inventions or cultural products and now permits the practice of patenting plants and animal forms as well as seeds. It promotes the private rights of corporations over local communities and their genetic heritage and traditional medicines." [http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/MBonFTAA.html] ==Agreements== Implementation of a full multilateral FTA between all parties would be eased by enlargement of existing agreements. [[North America]], with the exception of [[Cuba]] and [[Haiti]] (which does not participate in economic integration with the [[Caricom]]) are almost finished to set up a subcontinental free trade area. At this point Agreements within the Area of the Americas include: ===Previous Agreements=== * {{flagcountry|Canada}}: [[Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement]] (1988; superseded by the NAFTA) *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Dominican Republic}} (superseded by [[DR-CAFTA]]) *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Trinidad and Tobago}} (superseded by a Costa Rica - [[CARICOM]] FTA). ===Current Agreements=== * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]]{{flagcountry|Chile}}: [[United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement]] (2004) * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]]{{flagcountry|Peru}}: [[United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement]] (2008) * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]][[Image:Flag of Costa Rica.svg|border|25px|Flag of Costa Rica]][[Image:Flag of El Salvador.svg|border|25px|Flag of El Salvador]][[Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg|border|25px|Flag of Guatemala]][[Image:Flag of Honduras.svg|border|25px|Flag of Hondiras]][[Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg|border|25px|Flag of Nicaragua]][[Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg|border|25px|Flag of the Dominican Republic]][[Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement]] (DR-CAFTA; incl. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic; 2008) *{{flagcountry|Bolivia}}- {{flagcountry|Mexico}} *{{flagcountry|Canada}}- {{flagcountry|Chile}} *{{flagcountry|Chile}}- {{flagcountry|Mexico}} *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Canada}} *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Mexico}} *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Chile}} *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|CARICOM}} *{{flagcountry|Mexico}}- {{flagcountry|Nicaragua}} *{{flagcountry|Mexico}}- {{flagcountry|Uruguay}} *{{flagcountry|Canada}}- {{flagcountry|Peru}} *{{flagcountry|Canada}}- {{flagcountry|Colombia}} (Pending ratification) *{{flagcountry|Argentina}}- {{flagcountry|Brazil}}-{{flagcountry|Paraguay}}- {{flagcountry|Uruguay}} - [[Mercosur]] (1991) ===Proposed Agreements=== Active Negotiations *{{flagcountry|Costa Rica}}- {{flagcountry|Panama}} just pending approval by the Costa Rican parlament. * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]]{{flagcountry|Panama}}: [[Panama - United States Trade Promotion Agreement]] (2008?) * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]]{{flagcountry|Colombia}}: [[Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement]] (2008?) *{{flagcountry|Canada}}-{{flagcountry|CARICOM}}: [http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/caricom.aspx Canada-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Free Trade Negotiations] *{{flagcountry|Canada}}-Central America (CA4TA - Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras) [http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/ca4.aspx Canada-Central America (CA4TA) Free Trade Negotiations] '''Negotiations on hold''' *{{flagcountry|CARICOM}}-[[Mercosur]]: [http://www.mfaft.gov.jm/?q=trade-agreements-to-which-jamaica-is-a-party CARICOM bilateral trade agreements] * [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|border|25px|Flag of the United States]]{{flagcountry|Ecuador}}: [[US-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==See also== * [[Trade bloc]] * [[Free trade]] * [[List of Free Trade Agreements]] * [[International trade]] * [[Transatlantic Free Trade Area]] ([[TAFTA]]) * [[Africa-South America Cooperative Forum]] [http://www.nationnews.com/358952884370124.php] * [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] * [[Union of South American Nations]] * [[Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas]] * [[European Union]] * [[European Free Trade Area]] ([[EFTA]], [[CEFTA]]) ==External links== * [http://www.ftaa-alca.org/ The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) process], official home page * [http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/ftaa.htm Latin Business Chronicle]: FTAA Reports & Links * [http://www.ftaaimc.org/ Indymedia FTAA News] * [http://www.peoplesconsultation.org/ Background information about the FTAA and public participation] * [http://www.ips-dc.org/global_econ/FTAA%20chart%20-%20english%20-%20final.pdf Comparing the official agreement and alternative visions] * [http://www.thebta.org Border Trade Alliance] * [http://www.stoptheftaa.org Stop The FTAA], by the [[John Birch Society]], a conservative alternative opposition. * [http://infoshop.org/inews/ftaa_miami.html Media Gallery of the FTAA Protests] * [http://ftaaimc.org/miamimodel The Miami Model] Documentary * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2004/world_trade/default.stm The battle over trade], BBC News * [http://www.midwestunrest.net Midwest Unrest] * [http://bilateraux.cjb.net Scheduled 2005 Demonstration in Montréal, QC] *{{es icon}} [http://www.alternativabolivariana.org/ Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas] * [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMPlQNp_YXg&feature=PlayList&p=DA2B871E79C8B6F7&index=0&playnext=1 "R.I.P. Here lies the FTAA"] Video extracts of the Mar Del Plata rounds in 2005 with English subtitles. * [http://www.sice.oas.org/agreements_e.asp] List of Free Trade Agreements from the [[OAS]]. ==Articles and papers== * [http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/reports/columns/1205/farnsworth.htm FTAA Delayed, Not Over]. By Eric Farnsworth, Council of the Americas, December 2005 * [http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_editorial?id=35690576 Whither the FTAA?] ([[November 10]], 2005), Guyana Chronicle Newspaper * [http://www.washtimes.com/business/20031117-092154-9493r.htm Canada, Chile thwart U.S.–Brazilian plan], AP news article * [http://www.foodfirst.org/progs/global/trade/ftaamyths.html Myths of the FTAA], FoodFirst.org Institute for Food and Development Policy * [http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=1064 Why say no to FTAA], bilaterals.org * [http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/MBonFTAA.html The Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Threat to Social Programs, Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice in Canada and the Americas] {{Free Trade Associations of the United States|state=uncollapsed}} [[Category:United States free trade agreements|FTAA]] [[Category:Foreign relations of Argentina|Free Trade Area of the Americas]] [[Category:Politics of the Americas]] [[Category:Trade blocs]] [[Category:Treaties of the United States]] [[Category:United States federal trade legislation]] [[Category:Proposed free trade agreements]] [[ca:Àrea de Lliure Comerç de les Amèriques]] [[cs:FTAA]] [[de:Amerikanische Freihandelszone]] [[es:Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas]] [[eo:Areo de Liberkomerco de Ameriko]] [[eu:ALCA]] [[fr:Zone de libre-échange des Amériques]] [[it:Zona di libero scambio delle Americhe]] [[nl:Vrijhandelszone van de Amerika's]] [[no:Free Trade Area of the Americas]] [[pl:FTAA]] [[pt:Área de Livre Comércio das Américas]] [[fi:FTAA]] [[sv:FTAA]]