Bipartisan Push for Americas Trade and Investment Act

By Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy enlisted Democratic counterpart and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet to co-sponsor the Americas Trade and Investment Act (ATIA). The ATIA is a bipartisan bill that would expand the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to include other countries in the Americas.

The ATIA is aimed at strengthening economic ties between the United States and its Latin American neighbors. It would do this by reducing tariffs and other trade barriers, and by creating new opportunities for investment and cooperation.

The ATIA has the support of a number of business groups and labor unions. They argue that the bill would create jobs, boost economic growth, and help to counter China's growing influence in the region.

However, the ATIA also faces some opposition. Some critics argue that the bill would lead to job losses in the United States, as businesses relocate to countries with lower wages and environmental standards. Others argue that the bill would give too much power to multinational corporations.

The ATIA is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and it's still unclear which Latin American countries ought to be invited to the North American trade party. 

Among the candidates are those who took part on the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP), a framework for cooperation in the Americas that aims to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth and integration across the region, launched in June 2022 by President Joe Biden: Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador and Costa Rica.