Speaking at the Tampa Port Authority, Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts called Tuesday for expanded free trade with Latin American nations.
Free trade between the United States and our allies in Latin America will be crucial to our security and prosperity in the 21st century, said Romney. He pointed to the 10 current free-trade agreements with Latin American nations as a model for future opportunities.
Over the last decade, Latin America has been our fastest growing trading partner, Romney said. But we have only begun to tap the potential of economic partnerships in the region. We must continue to expand access for our businesses and workers in these markets, while using trade to deepen our relationships with allies and isolate adversaries.
Romney unveiled a new proposal to create what he dubbed the Reagan Economic Zone" with allied nations.
Free-trade agreements have enormous value, insisted Romney. But we must also form an economic zone in which nations committed to free enterprise and playing by the rules can all trade freely with each other.
Under Romneys proposal, the U.S. would join friendly nations in free-trade agreements while economically isolating hostile powers and countries with unfair trade practices. Romneys proposal would not include China and he called for ending federal procurement from that nation if it continues unfair trade practices and currency manipulation. Romney also called for more protection of intellectual property and promised, if elected, to use the White House, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the World Trade Organization, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Customs and Border Protection to ensure fairness for American companies in the global market.
Romney said that Americas allies in the Western Hemisphere would certainly be included in his proposed Reagan Economic Zone and he attacked the Obama administration for delaying forwarding to Congress free-trade agreements -- recently approved -- with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Romney called for restoring the White Houses authority on trade promotion and new trade partnerships with allies in Asia. He also stressed the need for new bilateral trade agreements with South American nations.
As I explained in last weeks debate, Latin America is a region whose opportunities and threats require much greater attention than they receive today, Romney said. A robust trade agenda will be crucial to realizing those opportunities and countering those threats.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
