President Bashar al-Assad traveled to Latin America to encourage investment at home while boosting Syria’s profile abroad.
The recent launch of Brazilian television throughout most of the African continent marked the latest sign of a growing economic and diplomatic relationship between Brazil and Africa.
A dispute over U.S. cotton subsidies took another turn this week when Brazil announced plans to suspend intellectual property rights on some U.S. products. That and retaliatory tariff measures are slated to take effect in April, though both sides hold hopes for negotiations.
Membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership could reengage Washington at a time when Asia and Latin America are signing new trade pacts.
Council of the Americas supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement to expand trade and investment with Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. “TPP may well be the most promising opportunity for hemispheric trade expansion that includes the United States,” says the COA submission.
President Obama needs to summon the political courage to push through free trade.
