The U.S. Commercial Service helps U.S. business export goods and services to markets worldwide. The Trade Americas program brings together the resources of U.S. Commercial Service offices in 21 markets throughout the region, providing your company with a single point of access to regional trade events, our extensive services, and research covering markets throughout the region.
The Trade Americas site provides information on the existing and proposed free trade agreements throughout the region, market research, best prospects in the region, trade event lists, industry-specific information, business service providers, useful links and key contacts.
Featured Events
The American Franchise Forum
in the Caribbean will take place in Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, October 23-24, 2008. U.S. Franchisors will have
a very unique opportunity to develop markets in the Dominican
Republic and the Caribbean by participating in this forum.
Learn
more...
Panama
is booming with development and represents an excellent
opportunity for U.S. exporters. Panama's economy grew at an
astounding 11.5 percent in 2007 and U.S. exports to Panama
increased by 38.2 percent between 2006 and 2007. The pending
U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement and the Panama Canal expansion
project offers tremendous commercial opportunities for U.S.
firms. Join the 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Trade Mission
to Panama, October 26-29, 2008. Learn more...
The Annual
Retailers Conference of the Americas will take place
November 20-22, in Tampa, Florida to integrate the
commercial sectors in The Americas. The conference’s
mission is to develop strategies and initiatives that promote and
fortify economic and technological development in order to help
face the challenges of a globalized market. Learn
more…
The Automotive Supply Chain Trade Mission
to Mexico in early December will introduce U.S. automotive
suppliers to business contacts in Monterrey and Saltillo, two of
Mexico’s major automotive assembly and distribution hubs.
Currently the world’s eleventh largest automotive
producer—expected to rank fifth by 2011—Mexico is experiencing
rising demand for automotive assembly parts and supplies. This
mission will leverage the benefits of the North America Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has paved the way for U.S. exports
to Mexico by eliminating all tariffs. Learn more...
Featured Markets
CAFTA-DR creates the
second-largest U.S. export market in Latin America, behind only
Mexico, and the 13th largest U.S. export market in the world (or
the 9th largest if the European Union is considered a single
destination). The United States exported $19.6 billion in goods
to the five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic
in 2006, more than all exports to Russia, India, and Indonesia
combined. Learn more…
Panama has historically served as the crossroad
of trade for the Americas. Today, the country is not only a
maritime shipping and air transport hub, but also an
international trading, banking, and services center. Trade
liberalization and privatization over the last several years,
along with the hemispheric movement toward Free Trade Agreements,
while still in progress, will inevitably increase Panama's
global, regional and sub-regional prominence. Learn more...
Spotlights
ACF 2008 exceeded
expectations for facilitating a dynamic, honest, and constructive
dialogue among Western Hemisphere leaders on improving the
region’s competitiveness. The Forum provided an opportunity
for governments, the business community, and representatives from
academia and non-governmental organizations to discuss actions
that can be taken to improve competitiveness and economic
prosperity in the Americas.... Learn more...
The
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
and the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in
Latin America (AACCLA) compiled fact sheets that
provide snapshots of U.S. contributions to the prosperity of
Western Hemisphere countries. Learn more…
Getting Paid by
Your Latin American Buyers
Latin America and the Caribbean is a large and natural market for
U.S. exporters due to the region’s geographic proximity. However,
many U.S. exporters are unsuccessful in selling to Latin America
or increasing their exports to the region, frequently due to the
payment terms they demand of their Latin American buyers.
This guide identifies the main financing and payment mechanisms
available to support U.S. exporters selling to Latin America in
general and to understand the costs, advantages, and
disadvantages of each mechanism. Learn
more...
Country Information
Learn more about how we can help you increase export sales to these markets: