Two members of Congress want to invite Latin American countries to join Canada’s trade agreement with the United States and Mexico.
Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado, say they want to create a Western Hemisphere trading bloc to combat China.
They say expanding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to include Latin American countries would be a win-win for the Americas.
Their proposed Americas Trade and Investment Act is designed to leverage the power of the U.S. as a trading partner to foster economic growth and stability throughout the hemisphere.
But the idea comes at a fraught political moment in the U.S., with former president Donald Trump _ the original catalyst for renegotiating NAFTA — leading the race for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Juan Carlos Baker, who helped lead Mexico’s team in those talks, says the USMCA review process in 2026 is a “perfect window” to explore expanding the agreement.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
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