CAFTA Approved

The Central American Free Trade Agreement was passed in a close Senate vote. The agreement is a major win for Bush and may assist the US in decreasing trade with China (commented on here). CAFTA may well succeed in bolstering the economies of nations in our hemisphere with the byproduct of reducing illegal immigration through our porous southern border:

The Senate approved CAFTA last month 54-45, and it now goes to the president for his signature.

It was a major victory for the Bush administration, which had to fend off claims by critics that the pact would harm American workers.

"CAFTA helps ensure that free trade is fair trade," the president said in a statement following the vote. "By lowering trade barriers to American goods in Central American markets to a level now enjoyed by their goods in the U.S., this agreement will level the playing field and help American workers, farmers and small businesses."

The accord eventually eliminates tariffs and other trade barriers between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republican. The countries signed the trade deal a year ago.

Those nations join Australia, Chile, Singapore, Jordan and Morocco in seeing free trade agreements approved during Bush's time in office.

Trade is the best deterrent to violence. It also gives us a big stick should any of these nations' leaders decide they want to go the Hugo Chavez dictator route.