Observers hedge their bets as Latin America jockeys for future trade position

摘要

The inauguration of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada and Mexico in January of 1994 was viewed as the Pawn-to-King's-4 of a giant commercial chess-game on the Latin American continent (see Ceres No. 151). Now, it seems, an even bigger game-board is needed: covert war has broken out over who gets to put their players on the trading squares emerging in the Latin American market. There is serious gamesmanship under way, for the prizes will prove royal, indeed. In December 1994, less than a year after NAFTA's initiation, 34 American leaders pledged to create a huge free trade zone that will extend from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego by the year 2005-that is to say 800 million consumers, the biggest single market zone in the world. The announcement was made with great fanfare during the Summit of the Americas in Miami.