ISDS Case Map
Panama
A visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sparked protest yesterday in the streets by opponents of free trade with the North American giant, a subject Rice is set to discuss here in a conference today.
Panama and Canada on Monday began a second round of talks in their effort to reach a free trade agreement (FTA).
A delegation of Panamanian trade officials was in Ottawa last week to launch free-trade negotiations with the Canadian government. The first round of negotiations came after a successful "exploratory process," including one meeting in Ottawa in May and another in Panama City in July. The Canadians also undertook a month-long consultation with Canada's provinces and territories as well as with businesses, industry associations and the public.
Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly ratified in second and final debate a free trade agreement with Panama that will open up the commercial channels between the neighboring nations.
A day ahead of a scheduled meeting with US President George W Bush, Panamanian President Martin Torrijos continued pushing Tuesday for approval of a free trade deal between the countries. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. also vowed to continue fighting for passage of the agreement and pledged to continue that fight for years, if necessary.
The Bush administration, Republican lawmakers and business groups pressed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday to allow votes on free trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea by the end of the year.
President George W. Bush does not want Congress to vote on a free trade agreement with Panama before it votes on a similar deal with Colombia, Bush administration officials said on Tuesday after a major obstacle to approval of the Panama agreement was removed.
The first major disruption of the nine-month-old Costa Rican-Panamanian free trade agreement came on July 6, when approximately 200 truck drivers from Panama, Costa Rica, and other Central American countries paralyzed cargo crossing from Paso Canoas, Panama to Cerro Punta, Costa Rica.
A concrete mixer. Crates of cauliflower. A Harley-Davidson. Chunks of cheese. President Bush used a White House lawn stacked with props yesterday to press Congress to approve free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea.
“With the United States, our goal is to have a string of free-trading countries from Alaska down to the tip of Argentina and Chile, and Panama is obviously an important link in that chain,” US ambassador to Panama said.
