Congressmen Say Latin America Deserves More Trade Engagement
Thirteen Republicans in the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., wrote a letter asking U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to increase trade engagement with countries like Uruguay, Paraguay, Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia. The letter, sent Oct. 13, noted that while the U.S. is the biggest trading partner of Central American countries and Caribbean nations, China is the No. 1 trading partner off the continent for all but two countries in South America, and in many cases, such as Argentina, Chile and Brazil, their trade with China overshadows trade with their immediate neighbors. In South America, only Ecuador and Colombia buy and sell more to the U.S. than they do to China, and Colombia has a free trade agreement with the U.S.
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"We understand concerns regarding human rights, rule of law, labor, and environmental issues in our neighboring countries, but China is no stranger to these same concerns, and yet we have continued to engage and trade with Beijing," the congressmen wrote. "Surely these concerning issues can be addressed while congruently investing, trading and near-shoring job opportunities with likeminded Western Hemisphere nations."