Thread: U.S. Commerce Secretary To Visit Guatemala, Honduras, El Sal

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U.S. Commerce Secretary To Visit Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador

3 October 2005
U.S. Commerce Secretary To Visit Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador

Trade mission of Carlos Gutierrez aims to promote CAFTA-DR, investment

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez will undertake an October 15-22 trade mission to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to promote the benefits arising from a U.S. free-trade agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic, known as CAFTA-DR.

The Commerce Department said in a September 30 statement that executives from 18 U.S. businesses will join Gutierrez during his trip. The trade mission will meet with business leaders in Guatemala City, Guatemala, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and San Salvador, El Salvador.

"These companies all have one thing in common: They recognize opportunity in Central America, and they are eager to begin doing business in those markets," Gutierrez said of the U.S. businesses participating in the trade mission. "Their interest will mean more investment, more trade, and eventually more new jobs in the United States and in Central America.�

The U.S. Congress approved CAFTA-DR in July, and President Bush signed the measure into law August 2. (See related article.) CAFTA-DR has been approved by the legislatures of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Approval of the trade pact is pending in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

For additional information, see Central America - Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement.

Following is the text of the Commerce Department statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 30, 2005

U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY ANNOUNCES CAFTA TRADE MISSION DELEGATION
First Trade Mission to Region Since Passage of CAFTA-DR

WASHINGTON D.C. -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today announced executives from 18 U.S. businesses will join him on a trade mission to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador October-15-22, 2005. This is the first trade mission to the region since the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) was signed by President Bush in August.

"These companies all have one thing in common: They recognize opportunity in Central America, and they are eager to begin doing business in those markets," Gutierrez said. "Their interest will mean more investment, more trade, and eventually more new jobs in the United States and in Central America."

The business executives participating in the mission are from large corporations as well as small businesses. They employ as many as several thousand people and as few as 20 and represent industries as diverse as energy, automotive, textiles and medical devices.

The mission will include three stops: Guatemala City, Guatemala; San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and San Salvador, El Salvador. In each city, participants will meet with key government and business representatives, Chambers of Commerce and industry, trade associations, and potential business partners.

CAFTA-DR reduces trade barriers between America and Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador. It creates the second-largest export market in Latin America for U.S. goods, and the tenth largest market in the world. More than 80 percent of U.S. exports of consumer and industrial goods will become duty-free in Central America immediately.

The U.S. Congress approved the CAFTA-DR in July 2005, and the President signed it into law on August 2, 2005. The CAFTA-DR agreement has been approved by the legislatures in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Approval is pending in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The trade agreement will enter into force on a date to be agreed upon among the countries.

For more information on the CAFTA-DR Trade Mission and its delegation, visit http://www.buyusa.gov/centralamerica/en/.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

BUYUSA.GOV I was surprised that they weren’t selling the USA. They are supposedly encouraging exporting of US manufactured goods.

They have already sold us out and what they are really exporting is our manufacturing jobs.