U.S. CHAMBER ENDORSES U.S.-CENTRAL AMERICA TRADE TALKS

U.S. CHAMBER ENDORSES U.S.-CENTRAL AMERICA TRADE TALKS    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it welcomed an announcement by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick that the government will begin free-trade agreement trade with five Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
   “The Chamber is pushing for a comprehensive agreement that will eliminate trade barriers, protect investors and intellectual property, and raise the bar for the Free Trade Area of the Americas,” said John Murphy, vice president for the western hemisphere at the Washington-based chamber.
   According to the chamber, trade between the United States and Central America exceeded $20 billion in 2001. The five Central American countries in the trade talks “constitute a larger export market for U.S. goods and services than India, Indonesia and Russia combined,” the chamber said.
   Negotiations will begin late January and are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.