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WASHINGTON – President Bush signed the hard-won Central American Free Trade Agreement (search) on Tuesday. Following are details about the measure:
WHAT IT MEANS: The act is supposed to remove trade barriers, facilitate investment and strengthen intellectual property protections with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
PROBLEMS: Critics from both political parties say the agreement could send American jobs overseas and contribute to the exploitation of Central American workers.
MORE IN STORE?: Next up could be a free trade agreement with Bahrain (search), followed by others with Thailand (search) and Andean countries.