Angel Lockward, Minister of Industry and Commerce and the head of trade negotiations, has announced conversations are being held that could lead to the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the United States. He said President Vicente Fox of Mexico and Hipolito Mejia of the DR will soon announce the start of talks. Lockward has also announced the DR will negotiate a free trade agreement directly with the US. Some economic sectors say this would not be wise as the DR could lose any benefits it stands to gain as a result of negotiations between the US and South American nations, such as Brazil. They point out it is in the best interests of the DR to wait for larger South American countries to negotiate free trade deals before advancing. Business sectors that oppose the DR negotiating directly with the US are worried that the DR and the Caribbean would have to give up more concessions under this arrangement than if they wait for the signing of the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas in 2005.
