U.S.-Argentine relations and the effects of global economic turbulence were among the topics discussed at AS/COA's annual conference in Buenos Aires. Featured speakers included U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon, European Central Bank President Lucas Papademos, and Economy Minister Carlos Fernández. Read the conference summary.

In the wake of the floundering Doha Round of trade talks, AS/COA hosted its annual Montevideo conference, focusing on Uruguay's positive economic performance in the context of global market flux. Presentations by Ministers Danilo Astori and Daniel Martínez as well as U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks served as conference highlights.

U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks, in remarks delivered at AS/COA's Latin American Cities Conference in Montevideo, urged the expansion of inter-American trade pacts. Representative Meeks sees an opportunity to "construct a new framework for hemispheric cooperation and renew our joint focus on hemisphere unity." 

As the U.S. FDA shifts suspicions from tomatoes to jalapeños after a major salmonella outbreak, questions arise over how the agency tracks imported produce. From Mexican peppers to Honduran melons, foreign farms feel the impact of the FDA warnings and recent blunders in the salmonella investigation could prompt changes in the agency's monitoring systems. 

WTO trade talks froze in Geneva, where booming Brazil played a central role, further strengthening its position as global player and setting the stage for a battle over U.S. ethanol tariffs. As Doha flounders, countries such as Chile and Peru step up bilateral agreements to boost international trade ties. 

NAFTA was never intended to serve as a mechanism to regulate the flow of labor. And it failed to meet policymakers' promises of creating sufficient jobs in Mexico. Nevertheless, it has established a framework for trilateral discussions on migration. Read the entire article in the Summer 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly.

Blaming NAFTA—and free trade in general—for job losses is misplaced. As the U.S. continues to debate a 15-year-olf trade agreement, other countries are negotiating their own pacts—a fact that should prod the U.S. to not only strengthen NAFTA but also reinforce its commitment to trade expansion. Read the full article in the Summer 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly.