White House says Panama trade deal clears final hurdle

The White House announced that Panama had satisfied a final condition for a free-trade pact with the United States.

Discussions have begun with Congressional leaders to schedule action soon on the agreement with Panama and those with Colombia and South Korea.

According to the White House, the deal with Panama, whose economy is one of the fastest growing in Latin America, will eliminate many tariffs on American agricultural, consumer and industrial goods at a time when trade rivals like Canada and the European Union nations are making inroads.

Original source: New York Times