Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)

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To see an alternative to unfair trade agreements like CAFTA, click here to see more background on The TRADE Act.

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a regional agreement between the U.S. and five Central American countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the negotiations for the terms of which concluded in December 2003. The Dominican Republic was added to the agreement in March 2004. The Bush administration is currently working to gain support for CAFTA in Congress.

CAFTA reflects a push towards corporate globalization that has proven to traumatize small communities, destroy livelihoods, and destabilize the most vulnerable members of society. CAFTA would lower living standards and labor protection in the region, cost jobs, harm environmental protection, restrict access to essential medicines, harm rural communities, undermine our democratic process, exacerbate our unsustainable trade deficit, and promote privatization and deregulation of fundamental public services in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

The Administration’s push for CAFTA is part of a strategy to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) that would covers all of the Western Hemisphere except Cuba. NAFTA and its sister agreements, CAFTA and the FTAA, embrace irresponsible trade practices that serve corporate interests over the wellbeing of citizens throughout the hemisphere.

Key Reasons to Oppose CAFTA Citizens Trade Campaign
What is CAFTA? Citizens Trade Campaign
CAFTA not a Development Strategy Citizens Trade Campaign
CAFTA and Human Rights Citizens Trade Campaign
Top 10 Reasons to Oppose CAFTA Global Exchange
Facts & Myths about DR-CAFTA & Development April 2005
Fair Trade or Free Trade: Understanding CAFTA Washington Office on Latin America and Others
CAFTA Briefing Packet Washington Office on Latin America and Others
CAFTA by the Numbers Public Citizen, July 2004
3 Resaons to Say NO to CAFTA Oxfam Report, September 2003
CAFTA’s Missed Opportunities Washington Office on Latin America
CAFTA Fails Standards of Justice Washington Office on Latin America and 47 U.S. organizations, June 2004

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