While at a New Orleans summit, leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States responded to recent criticism of NAFTA by lauding the trade deal. They also touched on immigration and border security.
In an op-ed for the Washington Times, Shankar Singham—a partner with global law firm and COA member Squire Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P. —warns against anti-free trade rhetoric utilized in current U.S. presidential campaigns. "Those political candidates who have hidden behind trade as the primary reason for economic anxiety are hiding voters from the truth of the new global economy," writes Singham.
In a Christian Science Monitor op-ed, AS/COA's Susan Segal and the Center for Global Development's Nancy Birdsall discuss how the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement could lower incidents of human rights abuses in Colombia.
In an op-ed for El Diario, Christopher Sabatini argues that congressional delay of a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement could have negative political and economic effects on the entire hemisphere and also threatens security and free trade in Colombia. (en español)
The U.S. House of Representatives stalled the bilateral free-trade deal with Colombia, approving a rule change that waives a requirement to consider the agreement within 90 days. The future of the pact remains uncertain.
In an AS/COA Online Interview, COA Vice President and trade policy expert Eric Farnsworth discusses Congress' decision to delay consideration of the U.S.-Colombia free-trade agreement. He warns that a failure to approve the deal would undermine regional allies who support an open market democratic system.
In an op-ed, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urges congressional approval of a bilateral trade agreement with Colombia, emphasizing the Andean country's commitment to democracy and and the opportunity provided by the trade deal to strengthen U.S. competitiveness.