ABOUT AACCLA

AACCLA Officers 2008  |  AACCLA Secretariat

AACCLA serves as:

  • a reliable source of information on regional trade and investment issues;
  • a critical point of communication between the AmChams, members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
    and the U.S. government;
  • a vehicle for companies based in the U.S. to reach one of the largest business federations in the hemisphere;
  • a coordinator of face-to-face interaction between business and government leaders of the Western Hemisphere; and
  • a resource for publications produced by the AmChams, including: membership directories, business guides,
    investment profiles, and magazines.

MISSION

AACCLA's mission is to promote trade and investment between the United States and the countries of the region through free trade, free markets, and free enterprise.

PROGRAM OF WORK SUMMARY

AACCLA is committed to making this the "Century of the Americas." Priorities in 2008 include:

  • Promote trade integration by influencing trade negotiations to ensure that the resulting agreements are comprehensive, ambitious, and commercially significant and secure their approval by Congress on a timely basis.  Key opportunities include the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, the Doha Development Agenda, bilateral tax and investment treaties, and trade preference programs.  Support full implementation and enforcement of existing trade agreements.
  • Promote trade facilitation measures to make the flow of international commerce faster, cheaper, and more efficient.
  • Turn back the tide of counterfeiting, piracy, and intellectual property (IP) theft in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Assist the business community in obtaining the maximum possible benefit from existing free trade agreements while defending their efficacy in the public debate.
  • To serve as a resource and a voice for U.S. business and its social and philanthropic interests, highlighting areas in which it is contributing to economic development, poverty reduction, and democratic consolidation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Support homeland security while facilitating trade at U.S. ports of entry, addressing the movement of goods (customs and port administration) as well as people (visa policy).