Canada Takes on Latin America as Free-Trade Partner

Canada has been busy paving a trade path to Latin America.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was on a Latin American tour when he stood by on Aug. 12 and saw the Canadian secretary of commerce sign a free-trade agreement with Honduras in the country’s industrial town of San Pedro Sula.

On Aug. 15, Canada’s free-trade accord with Colombia went into effect.

In Central America, Honduras is a powerhouse in apparel exports, sending nearly $3 billion in clothing every year to other countries.

Merchandise trade between Canada and Honduras totaled $194 million last year. With the new free-trade agreement, Honduras expects to increase its total exports to Canada by $350 million a year.

The free-trade negotiations with Honduras weren’t without a few bumps. Opponents to the deal noted that Amnesty International, in its 2011 report, said the government of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo had not sufficiently investigated human-rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and mistreatment of protesters. Canada will contribute $9 million to help set up better security plans in Honduras.