MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil has its own tempo

The time table for the Free Trade Association of the Americas talks is appropriate and Brazil sees no need to bring it forward, according to Brazilian Foreign Secretary in Washington, where he met Secretary of State Colin Powell and US Trade Representative Robert Zoellik.

"The content of the talks which are complicated, are more important than the time table", said Mr. Lafer, adding that Brazil is interested in market access (farm and industrial produce), antidumping legislation and rules of origin.

Although US and Canada want to speed the FTAA negotiations, Brazil insists US must review its antidumping policy. Washington is remiss to the Brazilian proposal. Mr. Lafer said the US trade representative Zoellik was "a man with an open mind and strategic vision", but also admitted that there are serious divisions concerning FTAA "both in Brazil and the United States".

"If the process is limited to tariff reductions, it'll be very easy for the United States since they have lower tariffs than Latinamerica, so that is why Brazil underlines the content, and not the timetable", concluded Mr. Lafer. FTAA talks are expected to reach its goal in 2005.