Peru expects thousands of visitors in conjunction with hosting the 2008 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. On February 11 and 12, AS/COA held programs in Washington, DC and New York to discuss Peru's economic growth and outlook, the economic opportunities for business in Peru, and the growing importance of APEC in the world.

Speaking at the 2008 APEC Road Show event in Washington D.C., Luis Alberto Moreno, Inter-American Development Bank president, invites to take a new look at the trans-pacific region and its potential for successful partnerships and role the IDB plays as a business facilitation platform.

In a Miami Herald op-ed, Colombia's Vice President Francisco Santos underlines the importance of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S., which is currently pending approval in Congress.

Since President Alvaro Uribe took office in Colombia five years ago, the country has made progress in boosting security. AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal writes that the time has come for U.S. Congress to approve a bilateral trade agreement as the "single most effective tool to help bring economic and political security to Colombia."

With Peru hosting the annual APEC summit in 2008, growing economic ties between Asia and Latin America get another boost. An AS/COA Asia-Latin America update takes a closer look at prospects for the 2008 APEC Leaders Summit, links between Mexico and South Korea, and the Free Trade Area of the Pacific.

January 1 marked an end to all tariffs on agricultural goods—including corn and sugar—traded between the U.S. and Mexico. But NAFTA could hit roadblocks in 2008: Mexican truckers face barriers to accessing U.S. roads and presidential campaigns have taken protectionist tones.

U.S. and Peruvian heads of state met Friday to sign a a bilateral trade deal. But U.S. Congress remains reluctant to move forward on free-trade pacts with Colombia and Panama. At a recent COA event, Colombian Minister Luis Guillermo Plata emphasized that a trade agreement would support stability and prosperity in his country.