Thread: Caribbean Leaders to Push for Free Trade Agreement With U.S.

Jul 5, 2005

Caribbean Leaders to Push for Free Trade Agreement With U.S.
By Bert Wilkinson
Associated Press Writer


CASTRIES, ST Lucia (AP) - Caribbean countries will push for a free trade agreement with the United States, Jamaica's leader announced Tuesday, saying the region was losing patience with protracted negotiations for a hemisphere-wide trade zone.
Caribbean countries are worried about losing a key market for their products when the Caribbean Basin Initiative, known as the CBI, expires in 2008, Jamaica Prime Minister P.J. Patterson told a news conference during a five-day summit of the 15-nation Caribbean Community. The CBI, which was negotiated in the 1980s, allows dozens of Caribbean products to enter the United States duty free, including textiles and food.

Also Tuesday, Caribbean leaders were debating whether to back bids by Japan, Germany, Brazil and India to expand the U.N. Security Council from 15 to 25 members, including six new permanent seats. The four countries are each seeking permanent seats and have lobbied hard for Caribbean support. The two other seats would go to African countries.

Patterson said Caribbean countries were worried that U.S.-led negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas would drag on past the expiration of the CBI, leaving the region with no pact to govern trade with the United States. FTAA negotiations have stalled over disagreements between the U.S. and developed countries concerned their industries will flounder against competition from wealthier nations.

Patterson said the Caribbean Community will look to a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and Central America as a model for negotiations. The U.S. Senate passed the Central American Free Agreement last week, but the pact is expected to face stiffer opposition when it comes up before the House.

"We have been studying what is in their agreement and we are identifying what our requirements are and what changes we would like to see when we come to engage in those negotiations with the U.S.," Patterson said, adding that island leaders would start pressing the United States for negotiations within a few months.

Patterson said the Caribbean Community, which often tries to vote in a bloc in the United Nations, may not reach a consensus on the proposed expansion of the Security Council.

"If we can reach consensus we can, but the consensus may well be that this is a matter on which we can not achieve unanimity," he said. "There will be no detriment or harm to the interests (of) countries if countries are allowed to take their individual position."

Japan's ambassador to Trinidad, Kato Shigenobu, said he was optimistic about obtaining Caribbean support.

"We have received very positive responses from the Caribbean," said Shigenobu, who was attending to the summit to lobby leaders.

China, one of the five permanent Security Council members, opposes the change. Beijing has been aggressively courting political and economic ties with Caribbean nations, offering aid for infrastructure projects and putting islands on its list of approved tourist destinations.

Island leaders were also discussing their own efforts to form a single market economy by the end of the year. The proposal has faced fierce resistance from many in the Bahamas worried about an influx of migrants from poorer nations.

(bw-ao)

AP-ES-07-05-05 1744EDT

This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBE366OSAE.html

Stop with the Free Trade Agreements already. They aint free and they aint fair.

This has got to stop, it is out of control. I only wonder why we the people cant vote on these big trade deals. We should have the choice to do that.

Prometheus

CASTRIES, ST Lucia (AP) - Caribbean countries will push for a free trade agreement with the United States, Jamaica's leader announced Tuesday, saying the region was losing patience with protracted negotiations for a hemisphere-wide trade zone.

"Losing patience with protracted negotiations for a HEMISPHERE-WIDE TRADE ZONE"

Well....I'll be.

THERE IT IS AGAIN!!

I don't remember approving negotiations for a HEMISPHERE-WIDE TRADE ZONE?

Did you?

Would this be that sneaky little Free Trade Zone of the Americas? The FTAA?

Hmmmm.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!



Welcome to the Third World Hemisphere Trade Zone....where we are just part of the mud slide to hemispheric poverty and Drone Dorms.

GET THIS MANIAC OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE NOW!!

Would this be that sneaky little Free Trade Zone of the Americas? The FTAA?

Gee, ya think?

Oh Yeeeeeeah....they're rushing on the Tuesday after the 4th of July celebration down to Colombia to push it, the grand finale of the end of the United States. 4 Congressman flew down there yesterday to talk tough with the President of Colombia and tell him, no more Andean Pact. No sir. They told him it would NOT be renewed, so to GET ON BOARD with the Free Trade Agreement....which for Colombia....would be that old sneakey stinkey Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. The big giant HEMISPHERE TRADE ZONE...otherwise known as that big smelly overflowing:

Third World Toilet Bowl of the West!!

And Americans would want this again for what reason?