On May 15th, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) went into effect after five years of negotiations. While the obvious benefits of eliminated duties on most U.S. exports to Colombia dominated the agreement’s media attention, the advantage of U.S. foreign investor protection deserve equal notice. Prior to the CTPA ennactment, U.S. foreign investors whose investments were seized could only seek legal recourse through the Colombian government. Now, these investors have additional protections which encourage safer transactions between the two countries. A similar agreement with Panama is set to take effect on October 1, 2012.