PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD - (September 12, 2002) U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) Deputy Director Barbara Bradford participated in meetings yesterday in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss capacity building initiatives related to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), global trade talks, and the development of closer trade ties between Caribbean nations and the United States. U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert B. Zoellick led the U.S. delegation at the meetings.

The discussions were part of a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on External Negotiations, an arm of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). Other members of the U.S. delegation included Adolfo Franco, Assistant U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean; Ambassador Mosina Jordan, USAID Mission Director for Jamaica; and Robert Devlin, Deputy Manager of Integration and Regional Programs at the Inter-American Development Bank.

TDA funds capacity building activities that facilitate the development of trade infrastructure and strengthen the links of developing countries to the global economy. An important part of the discussions at yesterday's meetings was improving the ability of Caribbean nations to trade and participate in trade negotiations.

Because trade is an essential and integral component of development, TDA works closely with USTR to fund capacity building activities around the world that advance the U.S. trade agenda. For example, TDA is currently funding the participation of nine CARICOM officials in a capacity building seminar on market-based government procurement conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank. This training is an important step in helping CARICOM officials to prepare to implement their government procurement commitments in the negotiations on the establishment of the FTAA.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency promotes American private sector participation in developing and middle-income countries, with special emphasis on economic sectors that represent significant U.S. export potential. By funding various forms of technical assistance, training grants, feasibility studies, orientation visits, and business workshops, TDA helps American businesses compete for infrastructure projects in emerging markets. In addition, the agency promotes capacity building initiatives and supports U.S. government trade, economic policy and development objectives around the world.

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