Financial and Professional Services

CAFTA includes provisions on cross-border trade in financial and professional services. As a result, the agreement significantly boosts market access to the services sectors of the CAFTA countries for U.S. service providers, including those in financial services (banking, trade finance, insurance, securities); telecommunications and IT services; architectural, engineering, and design services; accounting and consulting; legal services; education and healthcare; transportation/distribution/logistics; and various other kinds of professional services. The services sector accounts for the majority of jobs�and most job growth�in the U.S. and elsewhere in the developed world. For Florida�s highly service-intensive economy and its numerous service exporters, the opening of the CAFTA markets for financial and professional services is especially important. With the State�s huge Spanish speaking population, and their many cultural and family ties to the region, Florida-based services providers, large and small, have a unique advantage in entering these markets.