The presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru wrapped up a presidential summit for the Pacific Alliance this week, agreeing to bring the bloc closer with the neighbouring customs union Mercosur, while confirming South Korea as a new candidate for associate member status. The leaders’ meeting, held in the Mexican coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, comes seven years since the Pacific Alliance was formed, with leaders pledging to dedicate themselves further to meeting their “strategic vision” for 2030 and support work that aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “We declare our firm goal of continuing to promote sustainable and inclusive economic development, and the competitiveness of Pacific Alliance members, in our globalised world by supporting free trade and regional integration,” leaders said in their final communiqué, known as the Declaration of Puerto Vallarta . The Pacific Alliance meeting comes at a time of intensified international tensions on trade, which in turn has spurred many coalitions to ramp up their efforts at negotiating new trade accords or finalising existing processes. The geopolitical climate was noted by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos during the meeting, who pledged at the summit’s close that he and his fellow Pacific Alliance leaders would...