We already have plenty of trade with South America. We allow them to export their poverty here while we rape our own taxpaying citizens to pay for it all.
China as a trading partner with the US poses a threat. When do we address that risk first?
The author acts like we can do anything about it at this late stage. The old animosities aren’t going to be overcome by new fake promises - even from The Great Narcissist - and whatever their hidden agendas China is seen in Latin America (and by much of the rest of the world) as a neutral and lucrative business partner.
My understanding is that these tariffs are kept in place in order to get/keep/steal the Cuban vote in Florida.
If we got rid of the tariffs, the average American would pay less for everything that contains sugar. The sugar plantations in Florida would start going away due to their uncompetitive nature which would probably help the Everglades recover from decades of abuse.
And the Cubans are starting to vote Democrat so why should we care about keeping the Cuban vote?
So one way we could improve relations with our southern neighbors while helping the average American and the Everglades would be to eliminate any supports or tariff protections for American sugar.
If we dealt with Venezuela the same way we dealt with Chile, not giving a damn whether the government claimed to be leftwing, rightwing, communist, libertarian, democratic, autocratic, etc. then we might make some headway.
If we ourselves were a Christian nation with morals we could claim the high ground. But that hasn't been true for some time now.
So we might as well root around in the mud with the Chinese and just make it all about the money.
Not to worry, the Chines communist first concern in establishing trade will be the protection of the latin America environment.