{
  "id": "97-514",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "97-514",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 100677,
      "date": "1998-09-29",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:51:23.139941",
      "title": "Hemispheric Free Trade: Status, Hurdles, and Opposition",
      "summary": "At the 1994 Summit of the Americas in Miami, 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere agreed\nto\ncomplete negotiations to create a \"Free Trade Area of the Americas\" (FTAA) no later than the year\n2005. Since the summit, two approaches have emerged for promoting hemispheric free trade. \n  The first approach involves the expansion and deepening of sub-regional groupings such as\nMERCOSUR (the Southern Cone Common Market) and the proliferation of bilateral free trade\nagreements. Most all countries of the Western Hemisphere -- except the United States -- have been\nactive in this process. \n  The second approach entails formal negotiations to construct the FTAA by progressively\nreducing barriers to trade and investment. Under this approach, the trade ministers from the 34\ncountries agreed on the structure, organization, and venue for the FTAA negotiations at a meeting\nheld March 17, 1998 in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the negotiations were officially launched by the\nHeads of State at the Second Summit of the Americas held April 18-19, 1998 in Santiago, Chile.\n  There are at least two different perspectives on how much overall progress has been made over\nthe past four years in advancing hemispheric free trade. Some observers maintain that the official\nlaunching of the negotiations at Santiago, combined with the proliferation of sub-regional groupings\nand bilateral free trade agreements, are all strong evidence of accelerating hemispheric integration. \nOther observers hold that the formal FTAA negotiations are likely to lose momentum or drag on\ninterminably, and that hemispheric integration may be evolving in a manner that is hurting U.S.\ninterests.\n  If one assumes hemispheric free trade is a desirable objective, several major hurdles stand in\nthe way of moving more rapidly in that direction. The most important obstacle is absence of fast-\ntrack procedures for implementing trade agreements. A tacit assurance that Congress will not\ndemand changes in trade bargains struck by the President is considered key to persuading U.S. trade\npartners to engage in substantive negotiations. In addition, vast differences in size and interests of\nthe negotiating countries, combined with the possibility that a new round of multilateral trade\nnegotiations may be launched in the near future, could undermine the FTAA negotiations.\n  While the vision of hemispheric free trade was put forth by President Bush eight years ago, the\namount of popular support in the United States for this goal remains unclear. A 1996 public opinion\npoll found that 57% of the American public was opposed to new free trade agreements with Latin\nAmerica, while a 1998 poll found 36% opposition. Sources of opposition within the United States\ncan be seen in continuing debate on the benefits and costs of hemispheric free trade, as well as on\nthe efficacy of regional free trade agreements per se.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc806585/",
      "id": "97-514_1997Sep29",
      "date": "1997-09-29",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Hemispheric Free Trade: Status, Hurdles, and Opposition",
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      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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  ],
  "topics": [
    "Economic Policy",
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}