MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires Declaration

After several days of disagreement, the trade delegations of the 34 American countries meeting in Buenos Aires finally drafted a 250 pages document setting the procedure and timetable of discussions, from now on to December 2005, for the future Free Trade Association that should extend from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. The Buenos Aires Declaration as it's known, establishes three discussion legs, from now until April 2002 when the talks procedure and timetable for tariff reduction must be agreed; from May 15th. 2002 to January 2005 when the actual tariff reductions will be considered, and finally twelve months for the Congressional ratification in the different countries of the agreements reached. The full Declaration will only be made public following the coming April 20/22nd. Quebec presidential summit, but observers indicate that the two main positions, one led by the United States to accelerate and advance the timetable, and the other more concerned about contents under the leadership of Brazil, seem to have found common ground. In the next twelve months vital areas such as agriculture, industrial and farm subsidies, market access, government purchasing, investments and services will be discussed, granting smaller countries two safeguards: consensus in all decisions and the agreement must cover all areas. Bilateral and regional agreements can subsist as long as they don't clash with the Free Trade Association principles. However United States managed to incorporate a chapter regarding what it considers "current challenges", such as labor and environmental legislation. This is believed could be used by Washington to counterbalance pressures on demands to scrap or limit US legislation favoring agriculture or other forms of subsidies. A special committee will also deal with the smaller region's economies. After the agreement was reached US Trade Representative Bob Zoellick remarked that the Buenos Aires Declaration means "the Free Trade Association of the Americas will start December 2005". However Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister retorted that "without a balanced negotiation, there's no Free Trade Association". If the 34 countries of the three Americas (with the exception