Americas Act: Strengthening Ties, Countering China

Rewritten Article:

The United States has unique ties with Latin America and the Caribbean that surpass any other region in significance. Our shared languages, values, cultures, and economic interests are critical in today’s rapidly changing world as the Western Hemisphere boasts over a billion people and an economy worth more than $37 trillion. With ample resources to sustain every nation in our region, it has enormous potential for exponential growth; however, realizing this potential requires new approaches due to inconsistent U.S. policies resulting from historical neglect. China is exploiting the vacuum created by American disengagement and expanding its influence while fueling instability across the Western Hemisphere. Political unrest coupled with economic insecurity contributes significantly to mass migration towards America. Our Americas Act presents an alternative that aims at transformative change throughout our region, promoting democracy, rule of law, trade expansion, infrastructure investment, combating corruption and reducing barriers for foreign direct investments while countering China’s uneven playing field through forced labor, deceptive practices, and critical supply chain manipulation. The Americas Partnership will unify Western Hemisphere democracies in these endeavors as it creates a special enforcement unit at U.S Customs & Border Protection to exclude Chinese-forced labour from shared supply chains, establishes an energy transition program for Latin America’s benefit and expands scholarship programs, scholarships universities like the American University of The Americas, English language education initiatives, and CARE visas among other people-to-people connections. Our proposal is fully funded by closing a trade loophole that China exploits to import goods without duties or taxes – “de minimis” being an overlooked $1 trillion free-trade deal between America and Beijing inadvertently brought into operation far too late. The Americas Act’s success lies in its commitment to freedom, democracy, and opportunity shared by Western Hemispheric nations; it is the cornerstone for building a stronger region.