Florida exports to Latin America fall by $3.5 billion.

Byline: Jane Bussey

MIAMI _ Florida's exports to its key Latin American trading partners fell by $3.5 billion _ or by almost one-quarter _ in the first 10 months of last year compared to the year before, a reflection of the severe economic problems in key countries.

Brazil led the way in the fall-off, with a drop of $1.5 billion in exports in the first 10 months of 2002 compared to 2001. But Argentina's economic problems also bit deeply into goods that left Florida, with a drop of almost $1 billion.

From the experts who crunch trade numbers and follow the trends to the experience of import-export businesses, there are early signs of fundamental …