Free trade Area of the Americas - Wikipedia Free trade Area of the Americas The Free Trade Area of the Americas logo The Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ; Spanish : Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas, ALCA ; French : Zone de libre - échange des Amériques, ZLÉA ; Portuguese : Área de Livre Comércio das Américas, ALCA ; Dutch : Vrijhandelszone van Amerika ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas, excluding Cuba. Contents 1 History 1.1 Beginning 1.2 Disagreements 1.3 Current status 2 Membership 3 Support and opposition 4 Agreements 4.1 Previous agreements 4.2 Current agreements 4.3 Proposed agreements 5 Security pacts 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History In the latest round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, Florida, in the United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal. The proposed agreement was an extension of the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Opposing the proposal were Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, and Nicaragua ( all of which entered the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas in response ), and Mercosur member states. Discussions have faltered over similar points as the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization ( WTO ) talks ; developed nations seek expanded trade in services and increased intellectual property rights, while less developed nations seek an end to agricultural subsidies and free trade in agricultural goods. Similar to the WTO talks, Brazil has taken a leadership role among the less developed nations, while the United States has taken a similar role for the developed nations. Beginning Free Trade Area of the Americas began with the Summit of the Americas in Miami, Florida, on December 11, 1994, but the FTAA came to public attention during the Quebec City Summit of the Americas, held in Canada in 2001, a meeting targeted by massive anti-corporatization and anti-globalization protests. The Miami negotiations in 2003 met similar protests, though perhaps not as large. Disagreements In previous negotiations, the United States had pushed for a single comprehensive agreement to reduce trade barriers for goods, while increasing intellectual property protection. Specific intellectual property protections could include Digital Millennium Copyright Act - style copyright protections similar to the U.S. - Australia Free Trade Agreement. Another protection would likely restrict the reimportation or cross-importation of pharmaceuticals, similar to the proposed agreement between the United States and Canada. Brazil proposed a three - track approach that calls for a series of bilateral agreements to reduce specific tariffs on goods, a hemispheric pact on rules of origin, and a dispute resolution process ; Brazil proposed to omit the more controversial issues from the FTAA, leaving them to the WTO. The location of the FTAA Secretariat was to have been determined in 2005. The contending cities are : Atlanta, Chicago, Galveston, Houston, San Juan, and Miami in the United States ; Cancún and Puebla in Mexico ; Panama City, Panama ; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The U.S. city of Colorado Springs also submitted its candidacy in the early days but subsequently withdrew. Miami, Panama City and Puebla served successively as interim secretariat headquarters during the negotiation process. The last summit was held at Mar del Plata, Argentina, in November 2005, but no agreement on FTAA was reached. Of the 34 countries present at the negotiations, 26 pledged to meet again in 2006 to resume negotiations, but no such meeting took place. The failure of the Mar del Plata summit to establish a comprehensive FTAA agenda augured poorly. Current status This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( July 2016 ) The FTAA missed the targeted deadline of 2005, which followed the stalling of useful negotiations of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2005. Over the next few years, some governments, most notably the United States, not wanting to lose any chance of hemispheric trade expansion moved in the direction of establishing a series of bilateral trade deals. The leaders however, planned further discussions at the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2012. Membership The following countries are in the plans of the Free Trade Area of the Americas : Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela Support and opposition A vocal critic of the FTAA was Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who has described it as an `` annexation plan '' and a `` tool of imperialism '' for the exploitation of Latin America. As a counterproposal to this initiative, Chávez promoted the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas ( Alianza Bolivariana para las Américas, ALBA ), based mostly on the model of the Eurasian Economic Community, which emphasizes energy and infrastructure agreements that are gradually extended to other areas finally to include the total economic, political and military integration of the member states. Evo Morales of Bolivia has referred to the U.S. - backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, as `` an agreement to legalize the colonization of the Americas ''. On the other hand, the then presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Argentina, Néstor Kirchner, have stated that they do not oppose the FTAA but they do demand that the agreement provide for the elimination of U.S. agriculture subsidies, the provision of effective access to foreign markets and further consideration towards the needs and sensibilities of its members. One of the most contentious issues of the treaty proposed by the United States is with concerns to patents and copyrights. Critics claim that if the measures proposed by the United States were implemented and applied this would reduce scientific research in Latin America. On the left - wing Council of Canadians web site, Barlow wrote : `` This agreement sets enforceable global rules on patents, copyrights and trademark. It has gone far beyond its initial scope of protecting original inventions or cultural products and now permits the practice of patenting plants and animal forms as well as seeds. It promotes the private rights of corporations over local communities and their genetic heritage and traditional medicines ''. On the weekend of April 20, 2001, the 3rd Summit of the Americas was a summit held in Quebec City, Canada. This international meeting was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed FTAA. Agreements There are currently 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere, stretching from Canada to Chile that still have the FTAA as a long term goal. The Implementation of a full multilateral FTAA between all parties could be made possible by enlargement of existing agreements. North America, with the exception of Cuba and Haiti ( which has participated in economic integration with the Caricom since 2002 ) has come close to setting up a subcontinental free trade area. At this point Agreements within the Area of the Americas include : Previous agreements Canada : Canada -- United States Free Trade Agreement ( 1988 ; superseded by the NAFTA ) Costa Rica - Dominican Republic ( superseded by DR - CAFTA ) Costa Rica - Trinidad and Tobago ( superseded by a Costa Rica - CARICOM FTA ). Current agreements Canada, Mexico and United States : North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ; 1994 ) Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and United States : Dominican Republic -- Central America Free Trade Agreement ( DR - CAFTA ; 2008 ) Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru : Pacific Alliance ( 2012 ) Chile -- United States Free Trade Agreement ( 2004 ) Peru -- United States Trade Promotion Agreement ( 2007 ) United States -- Colombia Free Trade Agreement ( 2011 ) Panama -- United States Trade Promotion Agreement ( 2011 ) Bolivia - Mexico Canada - Chile Canada - Colombia Canada - Costa Rica Canada - Honduras Canada - Panama Canada - Peru Chile - Mexico Chile - Costa Rica Costa Rica - Mexico Costa Rica - CARICOM Mexico - Nicaragua Mexico - Uruguay Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela - Mercosur ( 1991 ) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru - Andean Community ( 1969 ) Proposed agreements Active negotiations Canada - CARICOM : Canada - Central America ( CA4TA - Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras ) Canada - Mexico - Peru - Chile ( among other Pacific nations ) : Trans - Pacific Partnership Negotiations on hold CARICOM - Mercosur : United States - Ecuador : U.S. - Ecuador Free Trade Agreement CARICOM - North American Free Trade Agreement, first discussed in 1993 -- 1994 Security pacts United States - Central America - Mexico ( Mérida Initiative ) United States - CARICOM - Dominican Republic ( Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean See also Miami model Pacific Alliance Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations Treaty Transatlantic Free Trade Area ( TAFTA ) Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Union of South American Nations References Jump up ^ `` ALCA - FTAA - ZLEA - Ministerial Declaration - Miami 2003 ''. Ftaa-alca.org. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` ALCA - FTAA - ZLEA - Candidate Cities for the Permanent Site of the FTAA Secretariat ''. Ftaa-alca.org. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ `` About AFSC American Friends Service Committee ''. Afsc.org. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` ALCA - FTAA - ZLEA - Links to FTAA Countries ''. Ftaa-alca.org. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. ^ Jump up to : `` Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America ( ALBA ) ''. Crwflags.com. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` An Interview with Evo Morales ( 12 / 08 / 03 ) ''. Upsidedownworld.org. 2005 - 10 - 16. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Gill, Nathan. `` April 2008 ''. Southern Affairs. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Council of Canadians : Campaigns : Trade and Investment : Publications : The Free Trade Area of the Americas by Maude Barlow ''. Ratical.org. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Free Trade Area of Americas ( FTAA ) ''. Actrav.itcilo.org. 1997 - 05 - 16. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ `` Haiti ''. Caricom.org. Archived from the original on 2014 - 02 - 14. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 15. Jump up ^ Maroday, Patricia ( 15 August 2014 ). `` Infographic : The Ultimate Map Of Tax Free Zones In Latin America ''. Mercatrade. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2015. Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ ( 4 ) Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ ( 5 ) Archived April 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Caricom And Nafta ''. Silvertorch.com. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 20. Jump up ^ `` Brazil : More Power to Quilombos ''. Brazzilmag.com. 2004 - 08 - 25. Archived from the original on 2015 - 11 - 17. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 20. Jump up ^ Goodman, Joshua ( 2008 - 12 - 15 ). `` Bush Excluded by Latin Summit as China, Russia Loom ( Update1 ) ''. Bloomberg. Retrieved 2015 - 09 - 20. Jump up ^ ( 6 ) Jump up ^ ( 7 ) Jump up ^ ( 8 ) External links This article 's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia 's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. ( September 2015 ) The Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ) process - official home page Comparing the official agreement and alternative visions The Rise of the New Global Elite - Statements of the former five - term Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan Plutonomy and Democracy does not mix - YOUTUBE video by Bill Moyers Chilean and Foreign Policy Chilean and Foreign Policy Mit.edu Harvard.edu Hemisphere Summit Marred by Violent Anti-Bush Protests by Larry Rohter, The New York Times, November 5, 2005 FTAA Delayed, Not Over. By Eric Farnsworth, Council of the Americas, December 2005 Whither the FTAA ? ( November 10, 2005 ), Guyana Chronicle Newspaper Canada, Chile thwart U.S. -- Brazilian plan, The Washington Times ( washtimes.com AP ) Myths of the FTAA, FoodFirst.org Institute for Food and Development Policy Why say no to FTAA, bilaterals.org The Free Trade Area of the Americas and the Threat to Social Programs, Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice in Canada and the Americas United States free - trade agreements Existing Bilateral Australia Bahrain Chile Colombia Israel Jordan Morocco Oman Panama Peru Singapore South Korea Multilateral Dominican Republic -- Central America Free Trade Agreement ( DR - CAFTA ) North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) Proposed Bilateral Ecuador Ghana Indonesia Kenya Kuwait Malaysia Mauritius Mozambique New Zealand Taiwan United Arab Emirates Uruguay Multilateral Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA ) Middle East Free Trade Area ( MEFTA ) Transatlantic Free Trade Area ( TAFTA ) Trade in Services Agreement ( TISA ) Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ( TTIP ) Suspended Southern African Customs Union ( on hold since 2006 ) Thailand ( on hold after 2006 coup ) Qatar ( on hold since 2006 ) Defunct or expired Canada ( became part of North American Free Trade Agreement ) Canada -- United States Automotive Products Agreement Trans - Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) Pan-Americanism History Spanish American wars of independence Latin American wars of independence Latin American integration North American integration Patria Grande Simón Bolívar José de San Martín Lucas Alamán Inter-American Commission of Women Organizations Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization ( ACTO ) Andean Community of Nations ( CAN ) Association of Caribbean States ( ACS ) Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas ( ALBA ) Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ) Central American Integration System ( SICA ) Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( CELAC ) Contadora group Contadora support group Latin American Economic System ( SELA ) Latin American Integration Association ( ALADI ) Mercosur Organization of American States ( OAS ) Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ( OECS ) Organization of Ibero - American States ( OEI ) Pacific Alliance Petrocaribe Rio Group Union of South American Nations ( Unasur ) United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ( ECLAC, CEPAL ) Projects Andean passport CARICOM passport CARICOM Single Market and Economy CARIPASS Central America - 4 Border Control Agreement Central America - 4 passport Eastern Caribbean Currency Union Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America ( IIRSA ) Interoceanic Highway SUCRE Institutions Andean Parliament CAF -- Development Bank of Latin America Bank of the South ( BancoSur ) Caribbean Court of Justice Caribbean Development Bank Inter-American Development Bank ( IDB ) Latin American Parliament Mercosur Parliament South American Parliament Free trade areas Caribbean Free Trade Association ( CARIFTA ) CARIFORUM Dominican Republic -- Central America Free Trade Agreement ( CAFTA - DR ) Economic Partnership Agreements Free Trade Area of the Americas G3 Free Trade Agreement North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) GND : 5288546 - X Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Free_Trade_Area_of_the_Americas&oldid=800087576 '' Categories : Free trade agreements of the United States Foreign relations of Argentina Politics of the Americas Trade blocs United States federal trade legislation Proposed free trade agreements Free trade areas Foreign trade of Argentina Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from August 2013 Webarchive template wayback links Articles with dead external links from September 2015 Articles containing Spanish - language text Articles containing French - language text Articles containing Portuguese - language text Articles containing Dutch - language text Wikipedia articles in need of updating from July 2016 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating Wikipedia articles in need of updating from February 2017 Wikipedia external links cleanup from September 2015 Wikipedia spam cleanup from September 2015 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Suomi Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 September 2017, at 12 : 52. 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Question: what is free trade area of the americas
Answer: agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers