As the global trade space begins to rev up for 2014, many industry leaders are looking ahead to the trends, challenges and strategies they see playing the biggest role in the year to come. In our Executive Outlook series, we asked some of Amber Road's top thought leaders about their perspective of the supply chain, compliance, and beyond, and we will post their answers every week. Our first interview is with Anthony Hardenburgh, Vice President of Global Trade Content at Amber Road.

The US and Canada exchange a lot more than just a neighborly cup of sugar. The US Department of Commerce has released a new infographic detailing the key elements of one of the world’s biggest trading relationships.

Trade in goods between the neighbors has increased threefold since 1990, likely owing much of that growth to NAFTA’s implementation in 1994 and the Canada-US FTA that preceded it. The trading relationship has also bounced back soundly from the Great Recession, actually exceeding its pre-recession peak to reach $617 billion dollars in 2012.

Looking to enter a new export market? Now has never been a better time to look south! The U.S. Commerce Department announced a new “Look South” initiative last Thursday to encourage an increase in American exports to Latin America. The initiative will help businesses explore Latin American markets, learn about emerging opportunities, and tap into federal programs that can help companies finalize deals.

The initiative is focused on increasing trade with the 11 Latin American countries with which the U.S. has free trade agreements (FTAs) with – Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. These countries not only offer FTA benefits, but also boast a rapidly growing base of middle-class consumers and diversifying industries.

Last Saturday, the World Trade Organization reached a historic agreement on its very first global “trade facilitation” deal, disproving the notion that small and large countries can never agree on new trade rules.

The 159-member organization committed to expedite shipments, streamline clearance processes and increase transparency at the conclusion of the Doha round of international trade talks. But the deal has hit several roadblocks in its long history since Doha began in 2001. Each time that discussions nearly collapsed, trade officials further stripped down the agenda, and Cuba almost derailed the entire project when they threatened to reject any agreement that failed to end the US’s embargo on their country. Roberto Azevedo took over as Director-General in September, and succeeded in keeping all parties at the table until they could reach a conclusion.

Despite Customs remaining largely staffed during the government shutdown, many companies are seeing their import and export operations screeching to a halt as they hit trade roadblocks from other furloughed agencies.

After years of trade disputes, US and European Union officials are considering a drastic change in direction: a US-EU trade pact. It would be the world’s largest trade agreement, and could give a significant boost to both struggling economies.

Negotiations are still in the preliminary stages, and both sides will have much to overcome — including differences on agriculture, food safety, and climate change legislation — but top EU and US officials insist they want to see the pact happen. Even America’s main labor group, the AFL-CIO, which usually opposes such trade pacts, said it wouldn’t interfere with this one. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also appears to be in support of the trade agreement: