Mexico’s Free Trade Agreements

[Excerpt] Mexico has had a growing commitment to trade integration through the formation of free trade agreements (FTAs) since the 1990s and its trade policy is among the most open in the world. Mexico\u27s pursuit of FTAs with other countries not only provides economic benefits, but could also potentially reduce its economic dependence on the United States. The United States is, by far, Mexico\u27s most significant trading partner. About 80% of Mexico\u27s exports go to the United States and 49% of Mexico\u27s imports come from the United States. Mexico\u27s second largest trading partner is China, accounting for approximately 6% of Mexico\u27s exports and imports. In an effort to increase trade with other countries, Mexico has a total of 11 trade agreements involving 41 countries. These include agreements with most countries in the Western Hemisphere including the United States and Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. In addition, Mexico has negotiated FTAs outside of the Western Hemisphere and entered into agreements with Israel and the European Union in July 2000. Mexico also has an FTA with Japan. The large number of trade agreements, however, has not yet been successful in decreasing Mexico\u27s dependence on trade with the United States. Economic motivations are generally the major driving force for the formation of free trade agreements among countries, but there are other reasons countries enter into FTAs, including political and security factors. One of Mexico\u27s primary motivations for the unilateral trade liberalization efforts of the late 1980s and early 1990s was to improve economic conditions in the country, which policymakers hoped would lead to greater investor confidence and attract more foreign investment. Trade agreements were also expected to improve investor confidence, attract foreign investment, and create jobs. Mexico may have other reasons for entering into FTAs, such as expanding market access and decreasing its reliance on the United States as an export market. The slow progress in multilateral negotiations may also contribute to the increasing interest throughout the world in regional trade blocs. Some countries may see smaller trade arrangements as building blocks for multilateral agreements. Since Mexico began trade liberalization in the early 1990s, its trade with the world has risen rapidly, with exports increasing more rapidly than imports. Mexico\u27s trade balance with all countries went from a deficit of $13.5 billion in 1993 to surpluses of$7.1 billion in 1995 and $6.5 billion in 1996. Since 1998, Mexico\u27s trade balance has remained in deficit, reaching$17.5 billion in 2008. The trade balance with the United States went from a deficit of $2.4 billion in 1993 to a surplus of$82.0 billion in 2008. Exports to the United States increased 447% between 1993 and 2008, from $42.9 billion to$292.6 billion. Mexico\u27s imports from the United States increased 237% during the same time period, from $45.3 billion to$152.6 billion. In the 110th Congress, issues of concern related to the trade and economic relationship with Mexico involved mostly economic conditions in Mexico, issues related to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the effect of NAFTA on Mexico, and Mexican migrant workers in the United States. The 111th Congress will likely maintain an active interest concerning Mexico on these issues. This report provides an overview of Mexico\u27s free trade agreements, its motivations for trade liberalization and entering into free trade agreements, and some of the issues Mexico faces in addressing its economic challenges. This report will be updated as events warrant

Summit of the Americas: The IDB Agenda to Support the Mandates of the Summits of Quebec and Nuevo León: Activities and Strategic Programs

During the Hemispheric Summit that took place in Quebec, Canada, in April 2001, the Inter-American Development Bank presented a set of 22 strategic programs intended to contribute to meeting the mandates that stem from the Summits of the Americas and the commitments that are part of the Plan of Action adopted in Quebec. Since then, the IDB has carried out intensive and complex financial and technical activities in the context of those 22 strategic programs. The programs fall into five areas that summarize the mandates adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Americas, namely: democratic governance and political development; integration and economic development; ecology and sustainable development; equity and human development; and connectivity and technological development. During the Special Summit in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (January 2004), the IDB presented a report summarizing achievements made since 2001 with respect to the programs presented in Quebec. In addition, the Declaration of Nuevo León establishes new mandates.Research & Development, Economic Development & Growth, Democracy, Governance, Mar del Plata Summit, November 2005, SOC2005-15

Adozione di RDA alla Library of Congress

The process of implementation of RDA by Library of Congress, National Agricultural Library, and National Library of Medicine is presented. Each phase of development, test, decision, preparation for implementation of RDA and training about RDA is fully and accurately described and discussed. Benefits from implementation of RDA for the Library of Congress are identified and highlighted: more flexibility in cataloguing decisions, easier international sharing of cataloguing data, clearer linking among related works; closer cooperation with other libraries in the North American community, production of an online learning platform in order to deliver RDA training on a large scale in real time to catalogers

A Paradox in Development: Exploring the Obesity Pandemic in Latin America

The purpose of this paper is to explain the obesity pandemic in Latin America and identify the factors of development contributing to the pandemic. The paper uses the framework of the nutrition transition as presented by Barry Popkin to trace consumption patterns and changes in dietary habits in the region. The paper looks at three case studies: Mexico and Chile, two countries with high obesity rates, and Peru, the country with the lowest obesity rate in South America. This comparative framework is intended to determine which conditions are necessary for obesity, which conditions are sufficient for obesity, and any conditions that might limit high levels of obesity. The analysis includes ten distinct factors, but concludes that economic growth and urbanization were the most important determinants of a region developing obesity

Social Security: The Chilean Approach to Retirement

[Excerpt] This CRS report focuses on the Chilean individual retirement accounts system. It begins with a description of the U.S. Social Security policy debate, along with a brief comparison of Chile and the United States. Next, the report explains what Chile’s individual retirement accounts system is and how it works. The pension reform bill sent to the Chilean Congress for debate in 2007 is also discussed. The report does not address other components of Chile’s social security system, such as maternity, work injury, and unemployment

Fuerzas tradicionales de exclusión: Una revisión de la literatura cuantitativa sobre la situación económica de los pueblos indígenas, afrodescendientes y personas con discapacidad

(Disponible en inglés) La distribución desigual de riqueza en América Latina y el Caribe esta ligada a la distribución desigual de activos (humanos y físicos) y al acceso diferenciado a los mercados y servicios. Estas circunstancias, y las correspondientes tensiones sociales, deben ser entendidas en términos de fuerzas tradicionales de exlcusión; los sectores de la población que experimentan resultados desfavorables también pueden ser reconocidos por características como etnicidad, raza, género y discapacidaes físicas. Además de revisar la literatura en exclusión social, este trabajo revisa diferentes tópicos: (i) deprivación relativa (en tierra y vivienda, infraestructura física, salud e ingresos); (ii) temas de los mercados de trabajo, incluyendo acceso a los mercados en general, así como informalidad, segregación y discriminación; (iii) los puntos de transacción de representación política, protección social y violencia; y (iv) áreas en las que el análisis aun es débil y avenidas para mayor investigación en la región.

Impact of Asian Soft Power in Latin America - China and South Korea as Emerging Powers in the Subcontinent

Has the use of soft power as a strategic foreign policy tool enabled China and South Korea to position themselves as emerging powers in Latin America? This study operationalizes and conceptualizes the concept of soft power by measuring it through specific categories within a case study and offers an extended definition of emerging powers. The concept of soft power has been defined by IR theory as a tool only available to hegemonic or strong powers, which has perpetuated an inherent western bias and limited its application to smaller countries. Furthermore, the distinction of hard and soft power has been oversimplified. The case study proves: China´s use of cultural soft power is not the reason behind its rise as an emerging power in Latin America. Instead, its palpable economic strength in the subcontinent represents its main soft power asset. Furthermore, South Korea has turned into an emerging power by using its cultural soft power. That result expands the existing definition of emerging powers, which has so far neglected the rise of a country through the use of culture. Because South Korea is also a middle power, the research proves that soft power can be exerted by smaller powers and not just by great ones

The Socialist International and the Design of a Community Policy in Latin America During the Late 1970s and 1980s: The Case of Spain and Italy

The Research: A Long Road. History Matters. The Socialist International (SI). The External Dimension of the Spanish Socialist Workers\u2019 Party (PSOE): Latin America and the EEC. The External Dimension of the Italian Socialist Party: Latin America and the EEC