Away from the main political front, the MP has held the trade and industry brief for his party and has played a prominent part in trade missions abroad.

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After a brief conversation which included a guaranteed trade-in price for our 1999 Jeep we had a tentative deal.

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Still, Britain will find the terms of the diplomatic trade in Latin America have changed since a brief attempt at courtship 15 years ago.

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Bush's only foray into foreign territory during the presidential campaign was a brief stop at a Mexican border town, where he stood alongside outgoing Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and pledged to broaden trade with Latin America.

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