Lawyer Daniel M. Price argues that eliminating tariffs on clean technology products offers a way to kill two birds with one stone, combining a push against trade protectionism with a commitment to green, sustainable energy. COA's Trade Advisory Group made a similar recommendation in their January 2009 report on the hemispheric growth agenda.

"The calculus is simple: if we can’t get it right with Mexico, our closest Latin neighbor both literally and figuratively, we’ll have trouble with the rest of our hemispheric agenda," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth in an article for Poder.

"The Summit of the Americas provides a forum for Obama to shift focus from energy independence to a more practical and even a more desirable goal—energy interdependence," writes Lisa Viscidi in an op-ed for The Houston Chronicle. The original version of this article appears in the Spring 2009 issue of Americas Quarterly.

In an article for Diplomatic Courier, COA's Eric Farnsworth writes that leaders gathering at the Summit of the Americas this weekend must focus on common solutions to alleviate regional poverty: "By championing sustainable development, we can stand with the poor and advance a common agenda throughout the hemisphere."

The forthcoming Summit of the Americas will be a chance for the United States to demonstrate its commitment to a common agenda in the Western Hemisphere, writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini. Yet concern remains that some leaders will use this spotlight to push their own agendas. (en español)

"[W]hen it comes to ways to improve the global financial sector—and ultimately the global economy—Canada offers a model that’s worth consideration," writes Scotiabank's President and CEO Richard E. Waugh.

"Generally unpopular in Washington, trade is now an orphan," write COA’s Eric Farnsworth and Michelle Morton for Poder magazine. “Pending trade agreements manifestly in the U.S. interest are languishing.” Solutions to jump-start the ailing hemispheric economy include conclusion of a trans-Pacific trade agreement.