Central American and Caribbean governments await a US statement on Caribbean basin market protection in the US and Canada, promised by President Clinton in talks last year. Regional leaders fear Mexico could capture Caribbean-developed markets and investments could be diverted to Mexico. Also, parity for a few exports would come at the price of investment treaties, intellectual property and workers' rights agreements, environmental legislation, democracy, etc. A de facto extension of NAFTA is unlikely, given the opposition to the original NAFTA. The United States has been pushing Latin America toward integration with its own regional trade bloc, but it faces an uphill battle against Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, which have all expressed interest in joining the T@@
Central American and Caribbean governments await a US statement on Caribbean basin market protection in the US and Canada, promised by President Clinton in talks last year. Regional leaders fear Mexico could capture Caribbean-developed markets and investments could be diverted to Mexico. Also, parity for a few exports would come at the price of investment treaties, intellectual property and workers' rights agreements, environmental legislation, democracy, etc. A de facto extension of NAFTA is unlikely, given the opposition to the original NAFTA. Some US congressmen propose putting all regional exports on a par with Mexico's for three years while future trade relationships are negotiated.