BRaziL
ExpoRt impoRt
gRowth gRowth
(pERcEnt) (pERcEnt)
December
2008
- 2. 9
8. 7
Year
23. 2
43. 6
2008
January
2009
- 26. 3 - 16. 6
February
2009
- 25. 1 - 34. 6
Source: mi NiStr Y oF DevelopmeNt, iNDu Str Y &
exterNal commerce
chiLE
ExpoRt impoRt
gRowth gRowth
(pERcEnt) (pERcEnt)
November
2008
- 19. 2 - 14.0
December
2008
- 24. 4 - 3. 2
Year
0.2
31.0
2008
January
2009
- 41. 3 - 25. 5
Source: ceNtral baNk oF chile
mExico
ExpoRt impoRt
gRowth gRowth
(pERcEnt) (pERcEnt)
November
2008
- 16. 1 - 7. 6
December
2008
- 19. 7 - 12. 8
Year
7. 3
9. 5
2008
January
2009
- 31. 5 - 30.0
Source: NatioNal i NStitute For StatiStic S aND
geographY/baNk oF mexico
POLICY UPDATE
also should unilaterally open to
other partners, including China.
There are other creative ways
that Latin America can leverage existing agreements to reignite global
trade growth. One is to look at new
ways to expand “cumulation of
origin”—a trade instrument that
allows material to be sourced and
manufactured in multiple countries without the final product losing tariff preferences. For the first
time, the Central American-Domin-ican Republic-United States Free
Trade Agreement permitted the use
of Mexican and Canadian fabrics
as qualifying inputs for preferential access to the United States. This
model can be extended further to
permit the use of inputs for groups
of countries that have trade agreements among themselves. For example, Chilean and Mexican inputs
could be cumulated to export preferentially to the U.S., or U.S. inputs
could be cumulated to export from
Mexico to Chile. Many other combinations are possible.
Trade liberalization—allowing
imports from multiple countries—
should be the goal. For instance,
Latin American Integration Association members could agree to cumulate inputs among them. Latin
American countries could also propose an ambitious cumulation
agenda to U.S. President Barack
Obama and move forward with it
as part of the Pathways to Prosperity forum. This would go a long way
toward solving the conundrum of
what to do with the dormant Free
Trade Area of the Americas.
The region’s two most powerful players—Brazil and Mexico—
should build on encouraging starts
and play a lead role. In late February, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva reversed a trade closing effort—a reaction to the Buy
American provisions—promoted by
some in Brazil. In December 2008,
Mexican President Felipe Calderón
dramatically lowered Most Favored
Nation duties in spite of strong opposition by local industry.
But it is crucial they don’t stop
there. These leaders must convince
others in the Hemisphere—
including the U.S. president—that more
trade is the key to minimizing the
impact of the crisis and to preparing
the ground for recovery.
Luis de la Calle is managing
director at De la Calle, Madrazo,
Mancera, S.C., and from 1999 to
2002 was Mexico’s undersecretary
for international trade negotiations.
GENDER quotas
Female Legislative
Representation
Alice KAng And Aili Tripp
Uaround the world were almost exclusively the domain
ntil the 1990s, legislatures
of men. But today, more women
are occupying legislative seats than
ever before, and some of the highest rates are found in the Americas.
The region’s rapid increases in female representation have occurred
largely as a result of special legal
measures to increase female representation. In the 1960s, women held
2 percent of unicameral or lower
house legislative seats. Today, that
number has jumped to almost 22
percent of legislative seats.
In 1991, Argentina became the
first Latin American country to
adopt national gender quotas. A
landmark law, known as Ley de Cu-pos, required a minimum of 30 percent women on each party electoral
list. The law further stipulated that
women be placed in electable positions to improve their chance of
