Economist predicts strong exports for South Florida

Economist predicts strong exports for South Florida    An economist predicts South Florida will see a 15 percent increase in exports during 2006 because of increased demand for U.S. goods in Latin America and the Caribbean.
   Tony Villamil, president of the consulting firm Washington Economics Group in Coral Gables, Fla., said the economies in Latin America and the Caribbean will grow 4 percent, leading to the increased buying power in the countries, according to a report in the Miami Herald.
   “We’re going to see another year where Venezuela will continue to expand its imports of South Florida services, along with the rest of Latin America,” he said.
   He said the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement will start to phase in this year, further improving the prospects for trade growth.