U.S. Commerce secretary heading south

In a White House push to build congressional support for trade pacts with Peru, Colombia and Panama, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will lead a congressional delegation to those countries Sept. 12-15. The trade pacts, negotiated by the administration, have been in doubt since Democrats took control of Congress in January.

A delegation of about a dozen lawmakers will accompany Gutierrez to discuss the agreements and meet with business, labor and civil leaders. The group will meet with Panama's president, Martin Torrijos, Peru's Alan Garcia and Colombia's Alvaro Uribe. The U.S. is the largest trading partner of Peru, Colombia and Panama, according to the Commerce Department. 

Posted by Nicole Gaouette in Washington