Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the Oval Office this week to talk security, trade, energy, and hockey. Ottawa's discomfort with "Buy American" provisions also caused Harper to make a rare trip to Capitol Hill, where he met with U.S. congressional leaders.

"Now is the time to have an open and honest dialogue about the role of trade in the economy and the ways it influences economic growth, job creation, and wealth generation," writes AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal in an op-ed for Poder on the sustainable benefits liberalized trade has for the global economy.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s meeting with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gave the leaders of the two biggest Latin American economies the chance to talk about boosting cooperation on trade and energy.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper travels to Mexico and Panama in the coming days. Canadian Senator Pamela Wallin writes about the probable inking of a trade deal during the prime minister's Panama visit as well as the successful conclusion of Ottawa's trade deal with Peru.

The leaders of Canada, Mexico, and the United States met August 9 and 10 for the first North American Leader’s Summit since President Barack Obama took office. Trade, climate change, migration, and security dominated talks and leaders voiced their commitment to a resolution to the Honduran crisis.

Passage of the Colombia trade deal would expand a robust market for U.S. goods and help combat the effects of the financial crisis, writes Benjamin D. Wolf of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

A free trade deal that adds Peru to Canada's Latin American trade network came into effect August 1. The agreement eliminates tariffs on more than 95 percent of goods and eases Canadian access to several sectors of Peru’s economy.