The governor of Florida will lead a trip to Ecuador and Peru next week to promote trade.
Governor Jeb Bush, brother of President Bush, will lead a group of officials and business leaders in an effort to build trade with the United States and the state of Florida in particular.
Ecuador and Peru did a combined total of $2.4 billion worth of business with Florida in 2004.
The trip comes as President Bush pushes for a free trade agreement encompassing all of North and South America. But several large South American economies oppose the move. A trade agreement among the United States, Central America, and the Dominican Republic has been delayed past its proposed start date of January 1.