[Once-Ler]

Under CAFTA, more than 80% of U.S. consumer and industrial exports and over half of U.S. farm exports to Central America would become duty-free immediately.

Thanks for finding this and posting. Whew! I was starting to think from the isolationist rhetoric being posted that the US was DOOMED to communism instead of more capitalism.

Unfortunately, I see none have replied so I guess they didn't think they had to read anything factual that might conflict with their knee-jerk hand-wringing.

[hedgetrimmer]

CAFTA does not provide new tariff cuts for Central American goods. Already, most textile and apparel products enter the United States duty-free under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) program.CAFTA allows such duty-free treatment for goods meeting a looser rule of origin--i.e. goods with less U.S. or Central American content--but nothing in CAFTA provides new cost-reducing benefits for the region. It just eliminates the requirement of U.S. fabric and other inputs to make the products that will continue to enter duty-free.

--opening the way for China to overwhelm the textile industry in the western hemisphere.

[demlosers]

Unfortunately, I see none have replied so I guess they didn't think they had to read anything factual that might conflict with their knee-jerk hand-wringing.

Yes, I had to read (some) it before I passed some type of judgment. To sum up CAFTA: trading without tariffs - good news for the free traders.

We are a suspicious lot here when it comes to international agreements and treatise - we don't trust any politician, may they trade on our Constitution.