Cruise lines are likely to enjoy even greater benefit from CAFTA. Already, the Panama Canal is a popular cruise destination, although cruise lines typically limit their cruises through the Panama Canal as they move ships from one ocean to the other according to the season. Having greater co-operation both economically and politically through CAFTA would increase the number of options available to cruise lines and to the countries that host them.

Companies that offer Caribbean cruises might expand their ports of call to include ancient sites on the east coast of Central America; cruise lines serving the Mexican Riviera might do the same. In addition, Costa Rica is already a popular tourist destination; cruise lines might build on that popularity to offer ports of call that include Costa Rica but that also cover more of the region. Cruise lines can boost the economies of the ports where they call through tourist dollars sold through tours as well as through retail and support operations, and thus the cruise line is likely to find that governments are eager to work with them to

At this point, 35 companies have brought claims of approximately $20 billion. The first company to prevail won approximately 50 percent of what it sought. If that trend holds for other companies, the country is looking at a liability that is nearly the equivalent of its entire discretionary spending in 2004. Clearly, the country is ill-prepared to pay such settlements.

If, on the other hand, the American company suspects that more nefarious purposes are at work in the Austrian partner's claim, then litigation may indeed be the route the company chooses. Litigation affords a more public approach than mediation, and provides other Austrian companies with the opportunity to witness the American company clear its good name. Long-term, this can work to the benefit of the American company as it continues to operate in Austria.

Any time the government of a nation is involved, there are political overtones for the nation where the dispute is occurring as well as the nation whose companies are affected. This is the case in Argentina. President Kirchner is an elected official who must be mindful of the needs of his electorate. This is a country that suffered a severe currency crisis only a few years ago, and the populace is not willing to undergo additional economic hardships. If there are power outages, for example, because of the course of action that Kirchner chooses, his own chances of re-election could be significantly reduced.

Thus while th