Trade reps from the Americas split on free trade zone schedule.

(From Agence France Presse)

With trade representatives from the Americas split on when to achieve a hemispheric free trade zone -- a key US policy goal -- Central American negotiators prepare for a key round of trade talks with US officials.

Following a meeting outside Washington, trade officials from 14 countries from across the Americas were divided on how and when to implement plans for a planned free trade zone stretching from Alaska to southern Argentina, a market of 823 million people.

The plan, known as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), has been a cornerstone of US foreign policy since presidents from 34 countries in the western …