[Stultis]

As if we make anything that your new "customers" can afford.

"As if" apparently "is so." Currently these little countries are, collectively, somehow able to afford $15,000,000,000 of U.S. goods annually. Divided by 44 million that's about $340 per capita. That's not huge, but it's certainly not not "anything". Or, what, do you think they'll buy less when tariffs on U.S. goods are lifted?

[Willie Green]

Or, what, do you think they'll buy less when tariffs on U.S. goods are lifted?

As a matter of fact, yes.
I think we will go from a $1.5 billion trade deficit to a $30+ billion trade deficit with CAFTA nations as goods we currently export are outsourced there.

FY '04 Trade with CAFTA nations

	Exports To	Imports From	Surplus or Deficit
Costa Rica	3,305.9	3,333.3	-27.4
Dominican Republic	4,358.3	4,527.1	-168.8
El Salvador	1,867.7	2,052.2	-184.5
Guatemala	2,551.3	3,154.0	-602.7
Honduras	1,021.8	1,170.5	-148.7
Nicaragua	592.4	990.3	-397.9
Total	13,697.4	15,227.4	-1,530.0

(millions of US $)