Official: Trade deals critical

Trade in the Americas has already become a critical part of economic growth, but trading nations must work to maintain momentum, argued U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez on Monday in Atlanta.

In remarks at the Hyatt Regency to about 900 attendees of the second annual Americas Competitiveness Forum, Gutierrez dismissed fears that trade deals have undercut U.S. workers.

“The numbers show that in the hemisphere we compete less with each other than we do with countries that are far away,” he said. “The reality is that we complement each other.”

He called for Congress to quickly pass trade deals, including one with Colombia.

Speaking later at a news conference, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez said the country doesn’t need trade pacts to sell some global commodities, such as coffee, but that an agreement is still crucial. “The treaty will help us create balance and equity. The United States is still the major supplier of goods to Colombia.”

The event drew government and business leaders from about 20 countries. Much of the conference was conducted in Spanish. Dozens of Latin American journalists came to cover either their political leaders or businesses.

U.S. companies used the forum to tout Latin links.

Eduardo Castro-Wright, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores USA and a keynote speaker Monday, said the company is teaching suppliers new techniques of production.

He touted a Wal-Mart program called “Tierra Fertil” (Fertile Ground) that helps farmers yield bigger and better crops with sustainable methods.

“The less we consume,” he said, referring to resources, “the greater the savings for our customers.”

Concern about energy costs was also reflected in sessions devoted to renewables, and also to worry about the effect of global prices on small economies.

Ray C. Anderson, CEO of Atlanta-based Interface, said his goal is to create a carpet that has “not a drop of oil” by 2020.

And Elias Antonio Saca Gonzalez, president of El Salvador, asked to list his five most pressing problems, replied, “Oil, oil, oil, oil, oil.”

Staff writer Maria Saporta contributed to this article.